


The Devil in the Walls: Freedom [Shingeki no Kyojin]

by KimMicolIzzo



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Character Death, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Undertones, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay Character, Giants, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Character, Light Dom/sub, Love, Multi, My First Smut, Original Character(s), Shingeki no Kyojin: Kuinaki Sentaku | Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Smut, Titans, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:21:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29141424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KimMicolIzzo/pseuds/KimMicolIzzo
Summary: Levi Ackerman x OC(First book - Freedom)Funny how the thing a human being most desires not to be taken from him is freedom. Freedom. What is freedom if not just the mere illusion of not being clearly controlled? Are human beings really free, or will there always be chains to bind them to something? This is what humanity has been wondering for over two thousand years, forced to take refuge behind a high wall to prevent giants from devouring them. But despite the desire to get her back, man is lazy and cowardly by nature, and he prefers to suffer rather than act. Or at least, for the most part. This is the story of Sarah Liberty Smith, who decided to act, and it is also the story of all those who, like her, tried to make that hidden desire come true.
Relationships: Erwin Smith & Original Female Character(s), Levi & Original Female Character(s), Levi Ackerman & Original Character(s), Levi Ackerman/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. The coise

**Author's Note:**

> This fan-fiction is the English adaptation of "Il demone delle Mura: Libertà" written on Wattpad by KimMicolIzzo_ITA (sike, that's always me, lmao). All translation rights go to me, me and only me (and Grammarly, Thanks buddy). Returning to seriousness, this story will contain:
> 
> \- Violence  
> \- Cursing and vulgar language  
> \- Emotional and physical violence   
> \- Sex Scene (no porn)  
> \- Even substantial changes to the plot;
> 
> The fiction is INITIALLY on a different timeline (the time line will follow then chapters 1-34 of the manga/1-25 of the anime). The ages of some characters are changed, and there will be extra characters to make it more rational. 
> 
> All rights of the work go primarily to Hajime Isayama and Tetsuro Araki, sequentially the author of the manga and the director of the anime of Shingeki no Kyojin. Everything that is in this novel is pure fantasy, and any reference to existing things, people, and places will be accidental.
> 
> Please don't argue in the comments on ships and plot. English is my third language, so feel free to let me know any mistakes I make. I'm here to learn too. Also, I remind you that every right on my characters are mine. In case you want to make more fan-fictions, drawings, or other, please mention me as the author.
> 
> After this, I wish you a good read and have fun.
> 
> "𝐊𝐢𝐦" 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐈𝐳𝐳𝐨

Two blue eyes started running along the door, watching the shadows of the citizens of Shiganshina take their places with her on the driveway. You could read in every fiber of her body that she couldn't wait any longer, like many other people. Everyone was there for a reason: the return of the Research Corps from the mission outside the Walls.

A miserable world theirs, thought the girl, arranging her long hair over her shoulder and brushing it a little. Around two thousand years ago, monstrous beings with titanic features had begun to walk among them and devour them. No one knows why they did it or how they were born, but now they were at the top of the food chain, which made them a problem. A problem so dangerous that the survivors of humanity had taken refuge in a discrete territory surrounded by three circles of Walls. Fifty meters high, the Wall Maria, the Wall Rose, and the Wall Sina divided their portion of the world in three. The girl, including two-fifths of the humankind, now lived was the Shiganshina District of Wall Maria.

As she played at pulling the suspenders of her trousers, making them hit the shoulders with a loud pop, a great shouting rose behind her. Her grandmother had forbidden her to get too close to the rock barrier, telling her it was too dangerous. So she had opted for a more intermediate position, not too far from the entrance but far enough not to miss the coming of someone remarkably significant to her. Still lost in thought as she was, totally absorbed in the speech she should have made to her father that night, someone bumped her on the shoulder, knocking her off balance and nearly falling. She managed not to drop thanks to her idea of jumping forward, forcing herself to walk towards the center of the street. Angry and embarrassed, she turned to the architect of this performance.

«Hey! Be careful!» she growled when she saw the figure of a man in her former place.

«Get out of here, brat. These are not things that females should see,» he ordered, looking at her from top to bottom, studying intently at the men's clothing she wore with a note of disappointment. And it made her wonder if he had ever seen a woman in pants. 

«I'm sorry?» the girl hissed, not sure she heard right. Seeing her so indignant made the man laugh, and the young lady was about to yell at him about his not quite polite character, when the thunderous tolling of the bells drowned out her words.

«They're coming!» yelled a boy not far from her. The lady remained motionless in the middle of the avenue, as if absorbed by that position of hers. Was this what they saw? Before going out? She did not realize that the soldiers were advancing towards her and would soon catch up with her.

«Get out of here!» another person ordered, pulling her away by the arm. Shortly after landing at her side, the figure on horseback of Commander Shadis passed and gave her a quick look full of sadness, motioning his head to a position further back than him. With a swift blow, she thanked him and waited for the Captains to file past her to the desired person.

«Ugh, what a waste of money.» she caught the sir that had pushed her earlier saying. That comment was neither original nor accurate, and this led the girl to clench her fists.

«Each time they come back, they are less and less. There is no point in continuing to maintain the army.» continued the one who had dragged her off the road. She shook her head at those words. They weren't true, she told himself, they weren't true at all. They died like flies, fine, but it was not due to the Research Corps. It was due to society, the corrupt system they lived in, her father's plans they didn't want to try. 

«Hey, don't you have better things to do than see these losers?» they asked, making her turn around for a moment. She gave them an annoyed look and resumed watching the show, with their laughter in the background. They thought that she would like to join the military, as it was rare to see teenagers in such situations. And her clothing gave the idea that married life was not even remotely in her life patterns. They weren't wrong at all. Yes, she wanted to take part in the army, and yes, she did not want to get married. Not yet, at least. She was sure she would find someone someday, but the idea of living alone didn't terrify her, so she didn't care that much anymore. For now, marriage for her meant living as society wanted.

While she could still hear the two men beside her whispering behind her, a golden glow made her gasp. She would have recognized that person among a thousand, perhaps also because it was a bit like looking herself in the mirror.

«Dad!» she yelled, echoing her hands around her mouth. The two gentlemen jumped in fright when the first soldier at the head of a small group turned towards them. The young soldier studied the crowd intently, and when his blue eyes rested on the slender figure of the girl, a slight smile appeared on his lips. After greeting her with an elegant nod, he resumed looking straight ahead, leaving his presumed happy child next to the two men, who seemed to want to dig a hole beneath them and disappear as soon as possible. The soldier they had just seen was Captain Erwin Smith, one of the strongest and most intelligent soldiers they had ever seen in the army. Despite his relatively young age, he would become the future thirteenth Commander of the Research Corps. And if he had replied to that little girl next to them, whom they had gleefully teased, that meant it was his daughter.

«They may be losers, but at least they are in a dignified and courageous way, unlike the rest of you,» she said, giving them a reproachful look full of pride. Now that they got a better look at her, the resemblance to the parent was frightening. In addition to the tall, composed figure that gave her a mature appearance despite not being over thirteen, her blond hair and eyes looked exactly like her father's. Even the cold gaze was identical and instilled the same freezing and intense courage. Before they could say anything, the young woman turned lightly.

«Excuse me,» she said before disappearing behind the houses. She tried not to cry, hurt by all that silly chatter. Not just because she was Erwin's daughter, but also because she had lived with them. She had seen them train, create plans, study giants, and believed she saw mythological heroes at work, so was their dedication and pride in being soldiers of the Research Corps. She wanted so badly to be a part of it, to work with them as a soldier herself, and not as a "soldier's daughter." For now, it was only Sarah Liberty Smith, illegitimate daughter of the future Commander Smith and granddaughter of a strange woman who seemed to love the worldly life very much despite her old age.

And thinking of her grandmother, the desire to run in the opposite direction pervaded her. She didn't want to go home. Not yet. Instead, she wanted to go to the Walls, to a place that only she knows, far from everything and everyone. She started walking in that direction, first quickly, then faster and faster, until she was practically flying through the streets of that dull and bigoted city. When she came near some houses with reddish walls hidden by miles of climbing ivy, she went to the wall of one of them and took a good look at the arrangement of the windows. Even though she had done it many times, she always liked to find new ways to climb that scarlet brick mass. Usually, she used the ledge of the windows on the first floor and then what survived of the upper floor, but this time she decided to opt for boxes left by the owner of the bar in front. Without making too much noise, she climbed onto one of them and searched with her hands for the brick support that would help her get to the roof. Even though she was tall, the house seemed to have collapsed slightly inward, and it was difficult for her to see what remained of it among the ivy leaves.

A voice behind her made her freeze. It was a middle-aged man, fatigued by the work. She turned her head slightly and saw his shadow around the corner of the saloon. With her heart pounding, she began to seek that goddamit support faster. When her fingers touched the rough shape of what remained of an alleged small balcony, and she leaned her right hand against it. With the free one, she helped herself with the plants, using them as rampions, and with an energetic kick of the legs, she found himself on the first floor. Now the roof was very close. She glanced behind her and felt anxiety coursing through her veins when she saw a figure's back. He was still talking to someone, fortunately, behind the building, and had not yet noticed her presence. She didn't have to be there, she knew. It was not her property, although she doubted anyone could own such a wreck, but it was that was still a crime. Quickly brought both arms to the eaves and levered them to climb again. With great effort, she finally found herself above her favorite abandoned house in all Shiganshina.

Before entering those secret four walls, she spent two seconds to admire the view. After all, Shiganshina was a modest town. She had never understood why her grandmother had come to live there, also because her father and her other granny, whom she had seen only once before her death due to disease, came from different places. Shiganshina was considered the city with the worst location of all the Walls. Built-in the extreme south, it was perpetually targeted by giants, who seemed to wander around those areas, rarely moving north. It could have been due to the disastrous cold spikes that the weather could get there. But, to be honest, Sarah didn't dislike those four little houses that made her world. The districts were all surrounded by a smaller circle of Mura, and she rarely saw the rest of the territories. That's why Sarah loved visiting her father at the Survey Corps Camp at the Rose, where he resided. Of course, it was a very long journey, which she made when some neighbors had to go there or beyond, and it was rare. But, recently, there had been the annual market in Trost, and she had received a drive from the merchants, taking advantage of that event to be able to deliver an urgent invitation to the parent. And a few days later, they had agreed when to meet.

"What a trip ..." she thought, smiling at the memory of that infinite expanse of prairie she had observed while she was happily above the "soft" boxes of wine. She took a deep breath of that fresh late March evening breeze and sat comfortably on the roofing, making sure that no one noticed her. Would she miss that life? Probably not. Sure, she had many memories of Shiganshina, but Sarah had always been a girl who was open to novelties. She wanted to know many things and discover out a lot about her world.

After the bells of the church not far away had rung, marking more than an hour since she had left the house, she turned towards the inside of the roof and stared for a few seconds at the hole that made it completely dysfunctional. Or at least if it had remained a resided house. There was one specific reason why that house was her favorite. Not that there were many, but she had seen them all. And none had what this one offered. Without reflecting too much about it, the girl leaned over the edge and jumped down. She cushioned the fall by springing her knees, like her father had told her. But she didn't think about it too much, remaining enchanted by that little corner of the enchanted universe as if it were the first time. Hidden by those three crumbling bricks, a rich garden grew luxuriantly, away from the unwanted eyes and squalor of that world. In the center of it, a large and lush apple tree grew uninterrupted, reigning like a king in that green soil. Surrounding him like obedient servants, berry bushes of all shapes, colors, and smells made that environment magical. And finally, scattered around the "kingdom," as if they were its citizens, sweet daisies and dandelions colored a beautiful green lawn.

Sarah relaxed there, admiring her secret. She didn't want to leave, but she had to be home on time later. The girl was going to put in order the torrent of emotions that were stored inside, and it was an enormous work. She was scared, but she was also confident in a positive result. Sure they would understand her desire and will in this. She stared at the sun beating on the emerald ground, so bright it dazzled, and thought of everything she had seen that morning: the tremendous devastation in the Legion. In addition to the battered and injured soldiers, and the bodies of the dead ones, the expressions the Commanders had were more than desperate. They were discouraged, sinners of everything and nothing at the same time. Just the thought of her father's gaze, which fell immediately after smiling at her, made her cry. She closed her legs around her face, as if to protect it from all that. But she didn't drop tears, because she didn't have any and because it wouldn't do any good. She had cried enough already. Once a month, her father went outside. How did she know if he would be back safe and stable? She did not know. She just hoped. But would that be enough? No.

She jumped when she realized that the sky had begun to turn pinkish. How long was she out there? Too much, she noted. Without thinking twice, she resumed climbing the walls. Why didn't she use windows to get in and out? There were three reasons: the broken and sharp glass, the jammed shutters, and the impossibility of closing them from the outside. In short, if she had come out alive, they would have noticed. No one was supposed to be in that area, in theory. She did as fast and quietly as possible, after which she started running towards her home. She tried to avoid as many people as possible, but her large size did not allow her to peek among passers-by, and so she opted to use the road from which she had started, sure fewer people were standing between her feet. When she got to the door of her little cottage, she was sure she had caused at least a couple of heart attacks on the way.

With a long deep breath, she opened the dark door and peered inside. She closed her eyes when, while closing it, the door emitted a long, agonized creak, as if to warn the owner that the wretched fugitive had returned. She felt a quick movement to her right, but she didn't have time to defend herself when a hand grabbed her earlobe hard and began to squeeze it vigorously.

«Does this seem like the time to come back home?!» a woman no longer as young as she would have liked yelled at her. Her gray-straked mahogany hair and her stubborn, handsome face was beginning to feel the weight of the years. Temperament alone seemed never age. Her grandmother Maria seemed furious, she noticed, as she looked at her dilated pupils and the wrinkles in the middle of her forehead, clearly designated by her contracted expression.

«Where have you been?» began her to continue. Sarah levered her wrist and freed herself from that grip. She looked at her grandmother's brown eyes for a moment and lowered them immediately afterward, too frightened by that authoritative figure.

«At the entrance...» she explained in a whisper, resuming playing with the bands like that morning.

«Do you think I'm an idiot? Later.» hissed the parent, crossing her arms over her chest.

«Messing around...» she replied, keeping her eyes down. She couldn't believe that by now, almost twelve, she still didn't have the right to go wherever she wanted without being scolded like a baby girl.

«I didn't let you "messing around." It is dangerous out here at this hour. Awful people are around,» she explained, softening her tone slightly, but always keeping that authoritative glance. It was reasonable that she cared about her so much. Sarah's mother, Francesca, had died ten years earlier from causes that her daughter didn't seem to deserve to know, given the secrecy that she and her father seemed to have about it. Sarah thought that someone killed her, but she didn't want to think about it. After all, she had never met her and therefore felt nothing about her, but she was still her mother.

«I know,» she said softly, snapping the suspenders one last time.

«Come on now, you smell like shitty lower-middle-class men.» she pushed her towards the stairs, wrinkled her nose. Sarah sniffed her clothes, but didn't understand what kind of "lower-middle-class men" smell was. She stank of sweat, yes, but her own. Sarah shrugged and ran over to change her messy clothes. When she came down again with a shirtless torso, she walked over to the sink and began to wash her face and body, trying not to get her pants nor the floor wet.

«Ugh, those idiots...» she heard as she put on her clean shirt.

«Who?»

«Neighbors. Since they found out who's your father, they are examining us twenty-four on seven,» she replied as she looked through a crack in the curtains at the house next to theirs. They were strange, that was true. They had been here for two months and had already cut off relations with everyone. They did that after eight, or at least from what Maria had said.

«I had enough of them.» she snorted, closing the thick green curtain abruptly and returning to the kitchen. She carefully watched her niece put on the black waistcoat, making sure that the closures did not open because of the breast, which, although not too invasively, was beginning to grow.

«Can't you dress yourself up in something more proper?» she made her jumped by adjusting the collar of her shirt.

«Why? I'm not elegant?» the lady asked for approval, observing herself well.

«It's not that.» the woman sighed, giving her a small tap on the shoulder. Sarah, at that gesture, frowned. She had never liked wearing too much feminine clothes. Not that Sarah didn't like skirts, quite the contrary. She found them to look great on other women.

«Ugh... I'm not very comfortable with skirts,» explained for the umpteenth time.

«Do what you want. But I doubt the guys will look at you if you don't wear them.» she reminded her. Sarah thought that the boys already looked at her, even without the skirts. But maybe not in the way that Maria intended.

«Because I'm not feminine enough?» she parodied her, but her grandmother shook a finger, denying that claim.

«Because you make it clear that you are stronger than them, and this is not a good thing for them,» she explained, hitting herself on the chest twice and returning to devote herself to the water on the fire.

«What do you mean... Stronger?» her grandniece shook her head in confusion.

«You will understand it. However, learn to tie a corset. You never know in life.» she said, putting the vegetables in the pot.

«Sure,» said Sarah sarcastically, but possibly, deep down, she was right. She had discovered so many things about the female world that had come profitable. To give an example, learning to sew allowed her to put her clothes back in place when they got damaged, but it would also come in handy when she had to mend wounds. In short, not all evil comes to harm.

She began to clean that single room that represented the entire first floor of their home. She swept the floor and threw everything out the door. She stayed for a few minutes to watch the last of the people go around happy during the night hours. When she saw a little family pass in front of her, she felt a mighty sadness. The little girl looked so happy while holding hands with her parents. She only went back inside when Maria told her, because otherwise she would have remained admiring that glimmer of life for a long time.

«Aren't you going out?» she asked as she put everything in order in the closet.

«No, I don't want to.» she snorted, watching the vapors of the broth rise in front of her. They remained like this for a long time. Maria used to go out for the night sometimes. She didn't know where she went, but she always came back the next lunchtime. Sarah had believed many times that the woman was doing something illegal, but the lady wasn't so cruel and stupid as to go around saying it. She cared about her life, you know.

«Eggs like?» she asked, changing the subject and making her jump.

«Hard-boiled,» she replied instinctively. Sarah was very simple, after all. Her favorite food was eggs. And, if served with a nice cup of tea, they were excellent. The woman rolled her eyes in a false annoyed tone, smiling slightly at those bizarre tastes.

«The door,» she ordered as she walked to the tiny pantry. Sarah didn't know how she knew he had arrived, but two seconds after she said these words, someone knocked.

«Coming!» she felt excited: she couldn't wait to talk to him. She hadn't found him when she went to the camp because he had left for an inspection. Too bad, she would have liked to meet him there. But now she didn't care. Her father was there, in front of her, elegant as he always was when he went to visit them. She jumped at his neck, surprising him.

«It is unexpected to receive you like this: Should I be worried about something?» he said, making her land out. The girl pretended to think about it and smiled furtively.

«It depends on your point of view,» she said mystically. Erwin shook his head, patting her golden hair. Only then did he realize that she had grown incredibly well. It seemed now close to reaching him.

«Don't stay outside! The cold comes in!» Mary woke them up, urging them to enter. Sarah laughed, thrilled by that evening, and immediately sneaked inside. Before he could sit down, she took the jacket from his father shoulders and folded it over her arm.

«What did you want to tell me?» he asked after greeting the owner, with a simple nod in response, and sitting down at the table. Sarah frowned abruptly. It was time, she thought.

«I think I've decided what to do with my life.» 

«You're still young, you have-»

«Wait. Don't interrupt me. I'm grappling.» said almost immediately. There was no point in wasting time. Now or never!

She placed the man's suit on the chair next to her for a moment and sat down, folding her hands in the exact way her father used while explaining something. It wasn't voluntary. She did it instinctively.

«Every time you come back from the outside, I want to know what it feels like to be free,» she said, staring him straight in the eye, as if to challenge him.

«Liberty...» he said in a low, slow voice, having already guessed what she was about to say. Maria also stopped but did not turn around, afraid to hear those words.

«I know you would like me to live safely here, but I can't stand it. I can't stand to see fellows die doing what they dreamed of while I'm safe in here. I want to be useful. I want to make the difference.» she explained all in one breath. It had been like a stream of consciousness. And this had surprised both relatives. The older one went back to work, speaking in a deep and hasty tone and saying words in an unknown language. Sarah looked at her out of the corner of her eyes and closed them, taking a few seconds to think.

«I want to be part of the Survey Corps!» she finally exclaimed, repeating them and blocking them in his father's.

«Why?» the man asked, confused and curious, making her sigh sincerely.

«Because there is something that pushes me to want to do something big to help humanity. I would like to become a great soldier. Perhaps the strongest there has ever been.» she explained again in one breath. What an effort, she thought. The man in front of her remained quiet, staring at what was now no longer a girl. This speech was not for a woman either, but it was certainly more mature than he could ever have imagined. Maria walked over to him, her teeth gritted in a snarl, furious that he had not yet said no to her.

«For the Saints, Erwin! Say something!» after a while, she yelled, placing the plates firmly on the table. In doing so, one of the cutlery flew backward, hitting the kitchen compartment behind the woman. It seemed that this only made Sarah jump, because the two adults did not move, fully absorbed by this revelation. They both had two completely conflicting ideas about the military. There was no need to say who considered it valid and who did not.

«It takes three long years to become a soldier. You know that, right?» Erwin reminded his daughter, causing the woman to pull her hair in despair.

«Not this!» screamed. Erwin, however, ignored her and leaned slightly across the table in the direction of his daughter.

«It is hard training, so heavy that many die because of it,» he said with a solemn look.

«It's a risk that I intend to take,» she answered immediately, without hesitation. She knew enough about the Training Corps. She also knew that many people had perished there. They stared at each other with unprecedented intensity, both well aware of how risky that choice was.

«You said it yourself, didn't you? "The ones who are not willing to sacrifice something will not bring any change," » she said a moment later, shining a strange light in his father's eyes. She had mentioned his philosophy of life. Erwin thought that if she had done it on purpose to win his approval, then she was much smarter than he had ever imagined. And she reminded him when he asked his parents about volunteering. It was less challenging because: first, it was a different time, and second, he was a boy.

«I intend to sacrifice all of myself, my humanity, and my youth, if that could lead me to help you in this cause.» she got up abruptly, seeing the hesitation of the parent. She didn't want to miss that chance. She had hit him, and that meant she did half of the work. But when she noticed her grandmother's confused look, perhaps more bewildered, she realized that she had to play her cards with her too.

«So please let me try. Let me prove to you that I can do it.» Sarah pleaded in a bow with her torso, and the hands clenched into fists, parallel to her torso. In that position, carefully observing the floor, she prayed everything she knew that it worked. It was Maria's voice that gave her the answer.

«Francesca...» she whispered, making the man turn around too. She stared at her with shining eyes, one hand in front of the mouth, not showing that she was about to cry. Sarah was touched to hear her mother's name and understood that possibly she too had, if not directly asked to join the army, at least to do something equally scandalous for a woman. She raised her torso slightly, making her grandmother wake up, and began to settle herself, having understood that she had lost control of her emotions for a moment.

«I don't approve of your choice at all, but I can't always be the one who controls your life. Only your father has to deal with this.» Maria said after returning the usual solemn, cold Maria. Sarah felt her heart light. Hadn't her grandmother decided something for once? Perhaps she should have controlled her facial expression better, because her amazement made her grandmother quite angry, who could not believe she was so happy with such a little thing.

«But I can tell you that if you fail, if they send you home or thrones of your own free will, you will follow my doctrine, okay? No more running around, no more mention of militarism, and you will learn to do those three trivial things that living at home requires, comprendes?» 

«Com-what?» she asked, making her father smile, masking the laugh with a snort, but could not raise down the smirk in time before Maria saw it.

«This means that you will learn how to sew, cook and wear a skirt.» she hissed, annoyed by those two subjects, so similar even in irritating her.

«Yes, ma'am!» Sarah replied by saluting her, impressing her in showing how much that posture suited her.

«When are the enlistments?» she turned to the man, making him recompose and think for a second.

«In April.»

«Have her take the same course as you. I don't want her to risk under who knows who.» 

«The West one?»

«West?» echoed the young woman. There were eight training centers in Wall Maria, one for each principal and secondary cardinal point. So there were three of them near Shiganshina.

«Do you want to make her go here? Among these louts? No, sir, I'd rather stay peacefully okay with myself.» she answered with a sigh and crossing her arms over her chest. She felt embarrassed to have just admitted to finding that man strong as a soldier. She hated him for taking her daughter, her entire life and love, away from her. She fell in love with him and becauseof that, she had her life taken away. And it broke her heart. She couldn't believe she had risked so much for her, and now she found herself as "thank you," a brat who wanted to go out and die.

But she had to admit, though, that Erwin had proved to be loyal to Francesca, despite being really young, and had refused at first to leave his daughter to the woman. Perhaps more for himself than for the baby. Like to make it clear that he could do it, that he was able to take on such a responsibility. But the Captain's commitments had begun to make themselves felt, and he could no longer keep her with him. Either he left her in an orphanage, as baseborn, or he gave her to some relative. And he had given Maria the only thing he had left of her daughter.

«All right. I allow you to enlist.» the man agreed, ignoring that comment.

«Really?!» she shrieked excitedly, hugging him. She didn't let him get out of his chair, so she knelt on the floor and beamed at him. Maria rolled her eyes and went back to the kitchen counter, finishing what she had to do in the kitchen.

«But you have to promise me to be careful. Be careful what you do, what you say, what you think.» Erwin said softly, stroking his daughter's head. Sarah nodded, her eyes bright, almost on the verge of tears with happiness.

«Soldiers are ignorant people. You just don't think like them, and they see you as a threat.» his eyes saddened when he said it, and his daughter couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. Seeing her so worried, the man quietly shook his head, smiling lightly.

«Watch out for the other cadets too. They will know who you are. You can see it.»

«Yes, I will,» she answered, slightly embittered. She did not know how to integrate with her peers, since she had almost always lived closed at home, but the idea of making friends did not frighten her, despite the lack of social skills. But if he told her they would hate her, then it was a lost war right from the start.

«Be strong and make people respect you.» he finally said, making her stand up. She sighed at that comment, almost routine now.

«And tie that hair well.» added her grandmother without turning around.

«Do I have to cut them?» she asked worriedly. Her father shrugged.

«I don't think there are any official restrictions on this. They cut them because they want. You do as you think.» informed.

«Thank God...» she sighed in relief. She liked them very much and had raised them with great love. She noticed that her father's jacket had remained folded in the chair, so she decided to put it in order on the coat rack. As she hung it on the hook, she noticed a swelling in one of the inside pockets. She shouldn't have taken it, she knew, but she was too curious about what it was.

«And this?» she murmured, taking the package in her hand. It was as small as her palm, rolled up in brown wrapping paper. It was well prepared, which made her think it might have been from her grandmother, but the fact that her birthday was just under a month away obliterated that possibility. Maria never gave gifts except on birthdays. And if she didn't get them in time, then she jumped them. She decided to open it when she saw her middle name written on it.

«Oh...» she simply said when he saw the contents. Hanging from a long golden chain was a golden spherical pendant. The surface showed only a few scratches, but she did not even notice it, so fascinated by this unusual shape. It opened in half horizontally, and it was empty inside. Sarah thought about what she could put in it, when a piece of paper came out of the package, which quickly settled on the ground, sliding towards the entrance door. The girl ran after him and, once picked up, read what was there. Four words. Nothing more. Four words, however, which meant everything to her. She turned to her relatives, now both seated at the table. She smiled sweetly, looking at the figure of her father. He hadn't given it to him in person because he didn't usually do certain things. But that was fine, Sarah thought. As she opened the clasp, she noticed that around the string, there was a darker area, almost reddish.


	2. Start

Walking past the newly enlisted cadets, Captain Erich, head of the Training Corps in the West, wondered why fewer and fewer people wanted to join. Although there were at least eighty fellows arranged in those ten slouched rows, the number did not even remotely reach the one of five years earlier.

That first day was essential for the young soldiers. It was an examination of the volunteers, to bring home those who would not have lasted a week in there. You could wait and let them figure it out for yourself, but the chance that they would lose their skin during those first seven mornings was far too high.

Walking quickly beside some female soldiers, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a peculiar figure. He might have been crazy, but he had glimpsed an old memory from the past. How many years had passed? Twenty? Maybe more. He went back to the young woman and studied her, making the companions beside her tremble.

She stood straight and composed, her right fist elegantly resting on her loose, faded beige shirt. Maybe too loose. It looked like at least two sizes higher. But it had to be hers, given the enormous stature. The plausible cause of this swelling of the garment had to come from something that the female soldiers did often and voluntarily: bandage their breasts.

She was too tall for her age, but her back wouldn't be affected too much, as her legs stretched more. The Captain promised himself to check the girl's notes as soon as that session was over so that he knew her measures. Continuing to run his gaze over her thin figure, he saw how remarkably feminine she was. She wore her wavy blonde hair in a high ponytail, and it ended up in locks, letting him know she wasn't going to cut them. Usually, young cadets shortened them before joining the army. However, the issue did not change much. It wasn't their job to make recruits decide how to show themselves in public.

What shook him, making him understand why he had found that girl so familiar, was the sharp gaze, due to the large azure eyes, surrounded by long and sinuous blonde eyelashes, which studied him carefully, doubtful as to what he wanted to tell her. It reminded him of the image of a doll, perhaps also because of the pale skin, sprinkled with some signs of acne, and the delicate and practically non-existent musculature. He should have put on a lot of weight, he thought, but he had an expression that shouted: "I'm going to do it!"

«Why do I feel like I've seen you before?» he asked, staring intently into that gaze and leaning slightly towards her. She looked around before giving him an answer, as if it must be obvious who she was.

«You keep looking at me. Maybe you'll have an idea, sir,» she responded, frowning. The Captain rolled his eyes, puzzled by this response. It surprised him, for sure.

«You have guts, soldier. What's your name?» he inquired, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest.

«Sarah Liberty Smith, from the Shiganshina District, sir,» she explained in a calm and determined voice, pausing between the first and last names, as if to indicate that she had two.

«Smith..?» whispered the Captain. Suddenly, like an avalanche of memories, the image of a bony young boy, with the same determined and cold gaze, invaded his mind.

«Oh, Captain Erwin's "daughter."» he shook his head, finally understanding who was in front of him. He refrained from saying the word "daughter" lightly. He did it more for her, even though she didn't seem to appreciate it. In fact, after saying this sentence, he felt many heads turn. Here, he thought, he had lured the wolves to the lamb. She was the daughter of a mad and cruel Captain, capable of sacrificing the lives of an entire platoon to reach an end, many times of such a trivial level that there was no reward. And around her were the children of the soldiers he had committed suicide, full of rancor towards her as only a devil could have.

«Let's make it clear: if you make me suffer as much as he did, then you'll walk out of here with your heart stopped, okay?» he said with a hint of frustration. He had to show that it was going to be unusually difficult for the girl. But the young woman did not let herself be intimidated and raised her chin shrewdly.

«Then get ready, for you are facing what will become your greatest cadet, sir,» she warned him with a half-smile. He never expected such courage from a girl. Hearing the boys behind him confabulate, he decided to continue, but not without showing how they rewarded the soldiers who responded in that way to their superiors.

«Since you like bragging so much, Smith, would you like to run around the camp until the sun goes down?» he asked in a mock friendly tone.

«Why not.» the girl answered, receiving a blow to the leg from the companion beside. They both turned to them, confused by this gesture.

«What's gotten into you, soldier?» Erich asked, noticing how furious the young woman in front of him was.

«Ah, nothing! I was slipping...» the soldier answered with a small jump. It was evident that they had not done it with great intention. Maybe they had tried to save their partner, but it had come out badly, and now they were paying the consequences.

«Name,» he asked, scanning them. They did not look expressly feminine, unlike Smith, and to outline this difference were the small metal glasses and the greasy brown hair tied in a ponytail.

«Hange Zoë, sir...» they explained in a whisper. They closed themself slightly, as if uncomfortable with that attention.

«Is your usual to slip on nothing like that, Zoë?»

«No, sir. I'm usually very stable.»

«And why you slipped now?»

«I don't know, sir,» they concluded without looking him in the eye. The face had turned a frightening red, which made the man wonder if they weren't going to pass out in front of everyone.

«I see you are quite small, Zoë. Would you like to follow Soldier Smith in this lively run?»

«Uhm... Of course, sir,» they answered in a faint voice. Hearing some of the soldiers laughing, he spun around, silencing them.

«Is there anyone else who wants to join soldiers Smith and Zoë ?!» he asked in a loud voice. Suddenly there was silence on the field. In the distance, it was possible to hear only the crows. It was creepy.

«What a bunch of cowards. Seventh row, behind the front!» he snorted as he proceeded with the inspection. Before leaving them, he gave them one last warning look but was surprised when he saw Smith not deigning him in the slightest. She seemed lost in her thoughts, and it reminded him so much of her father that he had to shake his head vigorously to stop.

As he went off to look at the youngs in the row behind them, Hange stared at him in fear.

«Why?» they heard on their left, wincing. Turning around, it found themself staring at two infuriated eyes.

«You shouldn't alienate the Captain,» they answered honestly. They sighed when they saw her roll her eyes and snort.

«I do what I want,» she explained as she pulled herself back into position, dropping her right arm to her side. That attitude was not for her at all, they thought. It gave her a ridiculous look.

«Why are you laughing?» she jumped up, this time angry. Hange only realized at that moment that he had chuckled at that thought.

«Sorry, it's just... Is this really your personality? You look like a furious tiny dog.» they explained, looking forward again. Sarah looked at them once more. She felt no hatred towards them. They looked stupid and found only compassion for them.

«Zoë!» both girls heard screaming. They both gasped, realizing that he had heard them.

«Forgive us, sir!» they both said in chorus. A faint voices of laughter rose around them, but they didn't care, as they joined in, too tired and embarrassed to feel remorseful for themselves.

＊＊＊

«Smith!» she heard from behind. Without turning or slowing down, Sarah waited for her companion to join her. They were left alone now. All the other cadets had gone to change and were ready to eat. Only the two of them were missing, but the sun was still high, and many rounds were missing.

«Ugh... What do you want?» she asked once they had reached her. The soldier waited a few seconds to catch their breath, to speak more clearly.

«How can I... Call you? Sarah or Liberty? I've never met someone... With two names... Especially with such a particular name as Li-»

«Sarah.» she interrupted them. Their panting speech bothered her a little.

«Uh?» they gasped. Sarah shook her head and turned to them.

«Sarah'll be enough, thank you,» she said, looking at the sweat that had formed under their glasses. They had worked too hard in the first few laps, and now they looked destroyed.

«Ah, Liberty is for the close people?» they asked, trying to understand why she wanted people to call her like that. They didn't know, of course, that Liberty was the name Erwin had given her after her mother's death. It seemed that Francesca didn't like it, wanting to call her daughter Sarah at all costs. Except that it was too valuable to the man, and he had done it anyway. He had called his baby as the dearest thing to any human being: freedom.

«No. It's just for my dad,» she explained, feeling the cold pendant bang against her warm skin. Now that she thought about it, she had never heard her father call her by her first name. Never. Hange stared at her for a few seconds, lost in that strong expression that highlighted the contours of her face, still soft but, that could be said already, mature.

«I understand.» they nodded and continued running alongside. After about ten minutes, however, the soldier could not help wondering how their partner could not still be out of breath after all that movement.

«Aren't you... Kinda tired?» they asked between breaths.

«No,» she answered dryly, raising the corners of her mouth slightly. Her legs and stomach ached, but she felt she could run a little longer. It was now just over five minutes in the dark. She had to resist.

«How?»

«Maintain a regular breath, equal to the steps you take. And never change speed,» she explained, hitting her chest and then her legs lightly. Hange looked at her carefully and tried to imitate her. Seeing that it was working slightly, despite being exhausted, they cheered.

«Who thought you this?» they asked again. Hange was trying in every way to make conversation. They had tried with the other girls, but they had snubbed Hange right away. Now many of them had gone home. Sarah had been the only one who had considered it, even though circumstances prevented her from doing the opposite.

«The soldiers of the Survey Corps,» she revealed them. She looked at the meal building, and a long murmur came from her stomach.

«You know them personally?» the companion interrupted her from her thoughts. They seemed baffled by this thing.

«They are like a second home.» she laughed slightly. Noticing that the darkness had swallowed everything around them by now, she slowed her pace until she stopped. The other copied her and followed her to the dorms. Some girls approached them with something that looked like a bucket.

«Ah, by the way, you can call me Hange.» the girl held out her hand. The young woman smiled.

«I had no doubts.» Sarah mocked, squeezing it vigorously and making them laugh out loud. A tired and fat laugh, not very annoying contrary to what she would have imagined.

«Water!» shouted Hange when they saw the companions give them a drink. As the soldier rested, drinking as much as they could, Sarah refused hers, saying she would sip something in the canteen. Her throat was so dehydrated it hurt to talk, but she knew that if she gorged herself, then she wouldn't eat. And it was no good to skip a meal.

«What a race, huh?» she heard one of the girls say to Hange as they followed her to the rooms. She was a thin and slender girl with ivory blond hair worn in a bob.

«You have no idea...» they left the sentence hanging, thus wondering about her name.

«Nanaba.» revealed the girl. Both Sarah and Hange frowned.

«It's a strange name.» the second said, without any tact.

«Your's too,» she answered, offended.

They went to their bunks to change. The uniform was uncomfortable after wearing it for too long.

"I wonder who that genius is who thought that the white pants were a yes. Definitely a man." Sarah grumbled mentally, wiping them with one hand. They were too tight, but she would have to resist them until the changes came. At that point, she would have taken a male pair, as the female ones were one size smaller than hers. He found all of this remarkably disorganized. And it bothered her more than it looked.

Based on the design of the rooms, each one could hold more people possible. Given the high bunk beds, two people would sleep per mattress, Sarah would have stayed with nine other girls. Not having a closet, she had left her bag on the top level of her bed. With a jump, the girl was on it and began to undress. As she took off her boot, massaging her aching feet, she felt a knock beside her. Hange had flown their backpack near her. She was confused by that gesture and thought that maybe they were getting closer than she imagined. Perhaps because their mates slightly marginalized them.

«What's for dinner?» she heard Hange ask the companion as she changed but did not listen to what she answered. She was too focused on what she had done that morning. Did it make sense to do that? It wasn't like her at all. She would have preferred to start a more respectful conversation, but she had thought that if Maria saw her there, well, she would tell her to bring out the character Sarah didn't have and show him she wasn't a fool.

"But maybe I am a fool, so we might as well act like one." she reasoned. They would have treated her like a lunatic, but she wouldn't have had much remorse for doing something. When she had finished changing, folding her uniform in order, she rejoined the two companions now ready to return to the canteen.

She was very impressed when she saw Hange also dressed in a masculine way. Not that it was rare. But they were in a particular phase of their life, and Nanaba and the rest of the remaining girls had beautiful long skirts, made of beautiful fabrics to look at both in quality and colors. Many traders lived in the occident, and Krolva was the most magnificent city in all of Maria and Rose together.

Entering the cafeteria, Sarah and Hange felt everyone's gaze on them. It was quite an embarrassing scene, also because they had pretty much all finished eating, so they were explaining, with the emphasis typical of boys, why they enlisted themselves. Of course, not everyone cared, and they preferred to stare at the two unfortunates who had had to run an extra half hour.

It was the girls who saved them, taking them to their table, on which two portions of soup and bread were waiting for them. Sarah stared at it. Hange didn't seem upset by it, but she did. Maria hardly ever cooked, and even if she was not good, the girl had to learn how to do it quickly. In essence, that scene was familiar, but it felt out of place.

Realizing that the young woman could not decide to take her place, one of the recruits came up to her and was fascinated by her hair, which now fell free on her small shoulders.

«Woah, your hair is so beautiful!» she shrieked, taking a handful of them in her palm and, seeing their softness, burying her face inside, squeaked amused. It did not bother her, but neither did it a particular pleasure. She kindly asked her not to pull them too hard, and that was enough to get her out of the way.

«Tell us why you are here,» Hange told her as soon as she sat down next to them, moving a few inches closer, avoiding any form of personal space that Sarah was entitled to enjoy.

«Do you always ask all these questions to people you just know?» she asked, waving her away. The other companions laughed, approaching them too. They were interested in finding out what the daughter of the future 13th Commander was doing among them, and above all, they were curious to find out if she was as strong as she claimed to be.

«So?» the soldier encouraged her, ignoring that gesture and staring at her with great curiosity.

«It is not clear? I want to be part of the Survey Corps,» she explained, giggling. She couldn't do it: Hange was so silly.

«Ah, so that's why. I thought you wanted to be with the Police,» they said instinctively, receiving several nods of agreement. Sarah looked at the crowd around her in amazement.

«With the Police? Me?» she was shocked. She couldn't believe they thought she wanted to go with those slackers.

«You are the one who said in front of the whole platoon that you wanted to be the best cadet.» one of them explained. Well, she thought, it makes sense now.

«And then I throw out my full potential. Maybe in another life, but in this one, I'll be a Legion soldier.» concluded by finishing eating. The meal wasn't as hot as it had been for the others, but it wasn't bad. She would add a little bit of salt, that's all.

«You?» asked, seeing that the table had fallen into silence.

«The Police doesn't sound bad as a way of life,» they answered in a whisper.

"I should say my opinions better," she told herself, remembering what her father had told her.

She didn't hate the Military Police. They were soldiers and had done the same three years of training as everyone else, but it was the after that bothered her. She saw them very often and hated the way they treated her. Many times drunk or arrogant, they had crude and undisciplined behavior. Furthermore, her father's childhood friend, Nile Dowk, who would soon become Military Police's Commander, the only time they met he had compared her negatively to her mother, calling her "fragile and aggressive."

One of the girls tried to add something, but the din of two cadets on the other side of the canteen stopped her. They seemed intent on arguing, getting to the point of the discussion where hands were trowed, and the others were cheering them on.

«What a mess. I'm leaving.» Sarah snorted as she stood up. Without saying anything, all the others followed her, casting annoyed glances in the direction of the conflict. Some soldiers seated near the door, also quite taken by the atmosphere, watched them go out.

«Where are you going, girls?» asked them.

«Far from you guys.» one of them joked, shaking her head elegantly and disappearing behind the door, accompanied by her companions and their laughter.

Once outside, the evening breeze made them squeeze. It was incredibly cold for April. It probably would rain.

Sarah thought back to her month. She wondered, close each year, how her parents had felt to know she was coming soon. She involuntarily took out the pendant. While looking at it, many questions flooded her mind. Hange, noticing that object, threw themselves on the girl.

«And this?» asked, hugging her shoulders and pointing to it. Their eyes shone curiously more than the gray metal. Sarah smiled and spun it around her finger, hitting her partner with the ball.

«Ouch...» they murmured, rubbing their forehead.

«Gift for the birthday in advance.» the other explained to them, walking back to their cot. Sarah was exhausted, and she was sure they would have to wake up early tomorrow.

«When is your birthday?» Hange hopped after her, looking at her with a stupidly excited expression.

«In two weeks.» the blonde wandered. There was no point in telling them the exact day. They wouldn't have remembered it at all. And instead, they surprised her.

«Okay, I'll sing the song to you until I get the right day.» they rubbed their hands in satisfaction, making her laugh.

«Brings bad luck.»

«Do you believe it?»

«No, but I think you do.»

«What?! No!» they screamed as offended deep inside. Nanaba watched them go, simply absorbed in those particular figures.

«I'm going to sleep, see you tomorrow,» she said to the companions she was talking to and ran after the two.

«Bye.» she heard behind her, but she didn't pay too much attention. She wanted to know a lot about Sarah.

"A soldier of the Legion..." she thought. Another person wanted to follow the same path as her. She could not miss such an opportunity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of information on characters, places, or events that have not been canonically explored, I have taken the freedom in writing them. Obviously, I tried to remain realistic enough in the imaginary world of Shingeki no Kyojin.


	3. Make Yourself Known

Her grandmother had always told her that to be productive and energetic from the early hours was necessary to wake up calmly and without rushing the process. It would help the brain not start the morning badly.

Well, not everyone knew her tips since that first morning began with a beautiful sonorous, and energetic awakening.

«Wake up!» one of the girls yelled at the others. Sarah's eyes snapped open, seeing behind her head the face of Hange. They seemed to have tossed and turned in their sleep and were now so close that she could count how many lashes her partner had. She usually woke up in an empty bed, so it was a non so gladly surprise.

She got up in fear, hitting the ceiling of the bed above hers.

«Holy shit!» another soldier said, covering her mouth. The blow had filled the entire room with its dry remover, followed by the soft moan of the girl, who was forcefully holding the painful side. Why was she beneath? She remembered that she had exchanged places the night before with two twins because "from an early age, they used to sleep high." She didn't understand what that meant, but she let them take her place. She didn't care anyway. Now she would have gladly refused the switch.

«Are you okay?» Hange asked, putting on their glasses and looking at her innocently. Sarah snorted in anger and took their head hard, shaking it energetically, as if to see if there was something in it.

«Ah! Back off!» protested the other, who was still trying to figure out what had happened.

«Shut up!» the older of all thundered, threatening to make them suffer later that evening. At that reproach, the room fell into total silence, leading Hange to throw themselves back on the bed to sleep, accompanied by the great sigh of weariness from the entire ward.

At the canteen, everything seemed ten times more silent and muffled than the night before. All a little disoriented, the young people seemed not yet fully capable of waking up before dawn. Outside, a first slice of sun peeked out from behind the distant line of the Walls.

As she tried to drink her milk, Sarah found her partner's head on her shoulder. They seemed exhausted, perhaps also due to the long and tiring run of the night before.

«Hange, get up.» she shook them gently. She didn't want to wake them up. It looked like they hadn't slept in weeks, judging by their dark circles. They hadn't told her where they came from, but they had unquestionably had to travel a long way to get there in that military encampment lost in the mountains.

«I wanna sleep...» they answered by hugging her arm and rubbing their face even more on the shoulder. The young soldier sighed.

«We have to go,» she informed them by placing the empty glass on the table and patting them on the back. She had never had too much trouble getting up in the morning. Maria had never woken her up, and perhaps she would have made her sleep for the whole day, but the girl's biological clock had always been punctual and operational. Now, however, it would have to change the hour by a lot.

«I don't want to...» complained Hange, forcing her to sit with them for a few more seconds. Not knowing what to do, also because it seemed rude to wake them up forcefully, she looked around bewildered.

«Nanaba...» she asked the girl in front of her for help. She was already up and was looking at her thoughtfully. She took the cup full of water Hange should have been drinking and threw it on their face. The only contact with the cold liquid made them jump.

«Hange Zoë, present!» they yelled, clutching their right fist to their chest. Everyone turned around and laughed, not understanding why they had done it. The soldier giggled too, hiding behind their partner, using her height to avoid being seen by everyone.

«What do you have so much to laugh about?» a deep hoarse voice asked.

The tired figure of the Captain stood out at the door of the building. He watched them critically, not understanding what they were doing. Hearing no answer, he gritted his teeth. When he was younger, they had the decency to answer. He consoled himself thinking that at least they were all standing and greeting, no distraction from anyone.

«Outside! Now!» he ordered as he left. Not even two seconds passed before the crowd of young soldiers dispersed into the courtyard. They were struck by what they saw. 

Four structures, consisting of three massive wooden poles, were arranged in a row. Two ropes dangled for a few meters and stopped at the height of their knees.

Before they could understand what they were, the Captain spoke.

«Who can tell me what this is?» he asked, pointing with his palm open to the equipment that two soldiers assigned to the structures were carrying. As they approached the boys so they could see them, only one hand went up.

«The vertical maneuvering equipment, sir. It is a set of equipments invented to allow humans to move with great mobility and ease during combat against the titans.» Sarah answered, who could have recognized it with her eyes closed.

She didn't know what it was composed of, but she knew what it could do: with the system of aiming and shooting the grappling hooks on an object, activating the gas mechanism made you to get closer to it. At that point, you disconnected them from the socket and kept moving forward, repeating the action over and over again. Soldiers used this operation for both straight patterns and slalom between objects and titans. She had seen the Survey Corps perform complicated stunts in the air, which led her to believe that anything was possible with that machine. It was unquestionably more laborious than it seemed, but, in theory, it was possible to perform any maneuver. It also had to be taken into account that vertical equipment tended to be less efficient in open spaces because there were not too many attachment points.

Captain Erich did not seem particularly happy with this answer, perhaps because it was too precise for a young girl. It was natural that she had seen it before, but not that she knew how to use it so well.

«And could you also tell me how it's formed?» he asked her again. She opened her mouth to tell him she didn't know, but she realized it was a trap.

«I shouldn't be able to know it, sir,» she answered after a few seconds. Technically illegal to educate civilians on army secrets, Sarah had only seen its use. No one was going to lose the job, but she still wanted to remind the Captain. With whom it was now obvious she had a hatred relationship.

Introducing the two adult soldiers, he explained to them the structure. 

«The equipment allows those who use it to fight in a three-dimensional space instead of the normally used two-dimensional. It means that is added to the horizontal and diagonal space the vertical one.» clarified, pointing to the scaffolding behind. The use was now understandable. It would soon see who had problems with gravity and who didn't, in all possible senses.

«The body is composed of a metal wire and is held inside it, installed in the lumbar area. Those are then two harpoons that rotate independently. They are capable of piercing titan flesh and can make you as fast as or even faster than them.» the Captain continued the lesson by pointing to two vents attached to the sides of the soldiers. One activated the mechanism, letting out a small harpoon which, as soon as it touched the ground, opened, securing him. It seemed to fit solidly but also easily removable.

"Rotate?" Sarah was very doubtful of that lexical choice, but she didn't want to say anything. Maybe she also, after years and years of that stuff, would have started using similar words.

«Here, attached to your hips, are the gas cylinders and blade holders containing the spare blades.» the man struck a metal box about a meter long, which constituted most of the equipment from the visual point of view. Inside, each in its narrow compartment, rested the blades. The soldier took one, hooked it with a quick gesture, and made it glow in the light of the morning sun. A sigh of wonder rose from the crowd.

«The swords are crafted from an ultra-resistant metal that makes them strong and flexible at the same time, and therefore capable of cutting a titan's nape in one clean swipe. Only specific factories in Wall Sina produce those swords, so don't waste them, or it will take you ages to get new ones,» he explained as the soldier showed them the elastic qualities of the weapon. It was rectangular and about a meter long. The surface was smooth and featured a striped pattern, each about twenty centimeters from the other. The tip ended in a downward sloping triangle that made it look like letter openers.

«The blade holders can hold a maximum of four blades per side,» reassured them, seeing them so worried by this news.

"So eight in total. If you add another two already entered, then that's ten. Let's hope that's enough because I have the impression that are not as resistant as they say." thought the girl. What had father told her about them? Something about the too light grain of the iron that caused the blades to break before finishing the stroke? The girl thought that perhaps it was time for a change. If you had to carry so many around, why not directly change them for something more resistant?

«Last but not least, you have the fan section. The gas flows directly against the fans, causing them to wheel. Don't worry: the mechanism is so powerful that it can prevent you from hurting yourself in the event of a fall, even without using the harpoons. The gas power is adjustable via these.» he explained, pointing to the buttonholes of the swords again. So, Sarah thought, they were for harpoons, for changing blades, and for gas. She felt it would take her longer to learn how not to get confused than to use it.

«Training on vertical maneuvering equipment allows humans, limited to two-dimensional movements, to adapt to movement in the third dimension.» he loudly told, finally pointing to the structures.

«Great physical strength, particularly in the legs, combined with spatial recognition skills, as well as mental strength, are crucial qualities.» scanned the last word syllable by syllable, as if to indicate the importance of these qualities.

«One of the first things done after the training is the evaluation in the use of the movement. Those who are unable to stay still in the air will be fired.» added, not seeing them scared enough and had the desired effect.

«Fired?» Hange asked in a voice that sounded like they were about to cry. Sarah shrugged, knowing nothing about such details. It was very likely, as their equipment consisted of just that.

«Let's hope for the best.» Nanaba sighed exhaustedly, joining her hands in front of her face in prayer. Even though the other cadets seemed very frightened by this news, they were not scared enough to remain silent. A group began to speak too loudly, attracting the Captain's attention, who turned towards them with a furious look.

«You!» he yelled, pointing his finger in the crowd. The taller boy looked around for help, only receiving the removal of his companions as an answer.

«Me?» he asked, pointing her index finger at his nose as if to ask for confirmation that he wanted him.

«Yes, you! What's your name?» he asked in a calmer tone, inviting him to approach the scaffolding.

«Connar Duman, sir,» he answered, less convinced than he had intended. Sarah took a good look at him once he cut away from the group.

It was impressive how tall and muscular he was already. You could see the sculpted abs from beneath the thin, ragged shirt, a color that perhaps should have been black originally, but which had faded so much over time that it became a strange mouse gray. Despite his muscular figure, like everyone else, his face betrayed his young age.

He had his slightly long hair in a little ponytail, which left two thick raven strands covering the sides of his face, and she had to admit it suited him a lot. But they were messy, and you could see it even if they were tied up.

«Come here.» the Captain ordered him, indicating the soldier who would secure him to the facility. Still hesitant, perhaps because uncomfortable in front of so many strangers, he let himself be tied up.

«You are tall for your age,» he said, voicing what everyone had noticed. He must have been at least six foot, and it was strange to see him so placed already at twelve.

«Thank ya', sir,» he answered with a faint smile. Sarah's eyes widened when she saw a small but terrifying detail. On the right side of his face, following the jawline like a white ribbon, a scar stood out on his shiny, olive skin. She shook her head. He couldn't have get it in an accident: it was too perfect. It had to measure ten centimeters, and it followed his profile as if it on purpose.

The girl swallowed hard, thinking of who could have done such a thing to him. His parents? But why?

«Where you come from?» the old soldier's voice broke in her thoughts.

«From Anklam's* Village,» he answered, receiving a surprised look from the man, followed by all the others present.

«From the north?» he asked again for further confirmation. The northern districts were considered the most charming cities due to the smallest Titan activity. However, the weather was fiercely cold. People told her that they might have hot springs to make up for the harsh climate, but it was never confirmed. It would have been nice, though. 

«Yes, sir,» he answered with a half-smile. The question comes spontaneously: what was he doing here? Until proven otherwise, there was a relevant training center in the north. It must have been awful for him to be in the humid and muggy climate of the west. Looking at him closely, Sarah could see how the boy's bang was glued to the temples by sweat.

«Your friend too?» resumed the Captain, pointing to a figure among the boys, followed by a snort.

A girl came out, her arms crossed over her chest and her walk inelegant. It was the red hair that attracted all the attention. Bright as to dazzle and tied messily, a bit like Hange's. It was exactly how the stories described the Nordic peoples: strong, tawny, and cold in their doing, just like their lands.

«Scarlett Steel, sir.» she presented herself listlessly. It was clear that she did not want to be there, as if the environment was not to her liking.

«I understand now.» the Captain nodded, observing her. He seemed struck by something in particular about her face, perhaps her infinite amount of freckles, or the emerald green eyes that seemed to be scanning everyone and everything with extreme ferocity.

«You two will be the first to give a demonstration,» he ordered them, turning towards the scaffolding. As soon as they positioned themselves under the intersection of the poles, after a long and intense mutual glance, perhaps to say something that would not have seemed appropriate in words, the man resumed speaking.

«Do you know what you have to do?» he asked as they were tied up.

«Stay calm?» the girl raised an eyebrow. As she said it, she had turned to them, and Sarah felt a faint: a huge scar covered her whole left side of the face. 

It started from the hairline to below the eye, taking a small half of her mouth, continuing a few centimeters below. It was as if someone had ripped off all that piece of her skin due to the jagged marks surrounding the white area.

Sarah cast a frightened look at a terrified Hange, who was also notably hit by that vision. Like a flash, a vague memory filled the young lady's mind. She had only heard the name of that village once. It had always been there for as long as humanity remembered it. Those who lived there were a remaining ancient family who, for centuries and centuries, practiced the noble art of hunting. People said that they were the best, capable of killing even a bear with their bare hands. Since that scar vaguely resembled a bite, she must have been one of them.

«A first start, but that's okay.» the Captain gestured to the soldier to lift them.

«Then, not for ya'.» Connar teased his friend, alluding that she could not maintain a relaxed attitude for too long.

«I'll cut ya',» she growled at him, thus proving that his mockery was well-founded. While he was still laughing, all the cadets were struck by how perfectly comfortable they were in midair. They didn't seem to be struggling, as if they had done this simple action millions of times: the muscles tense at the right point, the back straight, the knees soft to cushion any falls.

«Very good. Excellent muscle reaction. You are truly talented.» the Captain commented happily. They both thanked them and returned to their places, followed by the admirable eyes of all. As they walked quickly beside her, Connar turned and gasped to see her. They stared at each other for a while. Connar even slowed a bit to get a better look at her, his mouth slightly open and his eyes bright; Sarah, in response, raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he had to look about her. It was only Scarlett who hurried him to walk faster, kicking him on the shin and growling at him afterward, causing him to blush and look down. The girl shook her head and turned her attention back to the cadets. While Hange tested her skills, the two mates watched the others.

«Do you say it's that hard?» Nanaba asked, closing her eyes at the exact moment one of their companions hit the ground.

«I don't know. It's sure heavy to carry, but after a while, you'll eventually get used to it.» Sarah replied, imitating her. Hange seemed very enthusiastic about it.

«We'll have huge muscles.» they chuckled, hopping towards them. They had done well up there, apart from some initial wobbles. Sarah was sure Hange would do it as soon as they gained some extra muscle mass. She was worried: they weren't so buff as they should.

«If this makes you happy.» Nanaba sighed as the tallest checked her legs. She had to eat more, or she would never get strong enough to achieve the required performance.

«Smith. Move.» the Captain called her.

«I know you've already tried it. I expect a flawless performance from you,» said with a frozen look. As the man walked away, Sarah wanted to yell at him.

"I haven't tried it! What made you think I tried it ?! I'm Captain Erwin's daughter! My father would have killed them if they had put that thing on me! Captain, wake up!" she told him silently. She wanted to shout at him three hundred more things, but they already had tied her up and were about to lift her.

Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Slowly, she felt the earth beneath her move away. When the toes of her boots had lost contact with the dry ground, she opened them again.

«Incredible! She seems floating!» one of her companions said, making everyone turn around. Indeed, she was absolutely at ease with it. There was not a wobble, a thread of fear, an doubt in her posture. She had a certain elegance that seemed to fit her character well. Sarah smiled, thinking that maybe she was meant to be a soldier. But an unexpected event made her believe otherwise.

A sharp noise reached her ear and made her turn around. Just above her, her right hook was falling apart. She didn't have time to do anything that the link broke.

The blow that her head took was hard and caused a fairly loud noise, followed by a sharp pain, as if her skin was on fire.

«Down.» she heard the Captain ordering the soldier in charge, but his voice appeared muffled and distant. When she felt her entire body touch the ground, she attempted to figure out where she was, as a thick mist had covered her eyes. She felt hands touching her and tried to pull them away, moving her arms as widely as possible. The stinging from her head and the shake prevented her from seeing what was around, but the familiar figure of Hange entered her blurry field of vision, and she calmed down slightly. While her friend talked, distant and indefinite, her head now seemed to be totally in focus. Gradually, the girl brought her right hand to the affected area and touched it. She thought it was strange that she didn't feel her soft hair. Instead, a sticky, liquid substance dripped between her fingers and onto her skin, annoying her. She brought the limb in front of her eyes and looked in horror at the vermilion color that covered it.

«B-Blood..?» she stuttered. Now her head ached even more.

«Take her to the infirmary.» the man said again, worried about the cadet. It looked like a reasonably dangerous wound, and all that blood that it didn't want to stop coming out didn't make the situation any less grave. He watched Hange try to get her partner up with futile results, and he was about to call someone, but a swift figure preceded him, bending over her girl. Connar, with extreme delicacy, took her in his arms, being careful that her head did not move too much, and walked quickly to the clinic, followed by Hange.

As soon as they were out of sight, he resumed the test, but not after having the ropes changed. Observing them closely, Erich could see how extremely ruined they were. She had come close to death, he thought.

＊＊＊

«That was a great blow, not gonna lie,» commented Hange as they entered while their companion changed her bandage. The infirmary had emptied in the time it took Sarah to rest and fully regain consciousness. 

«It was broken...» she said, guilty. She felt herself the author of that accident, for some strange reason.

«It happen'. Maintenance is not something taken so seriously, ya' know?» Connar said. He was leaning against the door and standing with his back facing them. His face was slightly red from the training the girl had skipped and also because Sarah was shirtless. He had wanted to come to find out how she was doing, but he looked very embarrassed next to her.

«I can't go home.» the latter said, sinking her face in her hands. She couldn't believe she had already failed. Her grandmother would have taken it well, but she would have lived a disgusting life. At least other guys also seemed to have abandoned that path. She felt Hange's cold hand stroking her bareback.

«You will not go back. You passed the test. At least, you'll do it again.» reassured her, receiving a nod from the boy as well. While their friend dressed, Hange catch a detail. The shirt, lying on the shelf next to the bed, looked immaculate. Even the jacket, which was the most dirty by the blood, now seemed as good as new. Before going out with Sarah, the young soldier shook their head, but they had no idea why their partner's plasma had magically disappeared.

And that answer didn't come even after dinner, which usually brought them good ideas. Walking silently alongside their other companions, the soldier wondered who Sarah was. While returning to their rooms, they find their way blocked by one of the cadets.

«Hey, Captain's daughter, how are you doing?» he asked Sarah, watching her with a look full of lust. Although she was not completely mature, Sarah already displayed beautiful shapes and a charming face. In short, it was pleasing looking at her.

«Good, thank you.» the girl answered unexpectedly, astonishing both the interlocutor and the companions.

«You took a good slap. You bruised your pretty face. What a shame.» the other continued, caressing her cheek and smiling when, with a quick gesture, the girl lowered his hand. For the first time in her life, Sarah felt violated. Those eyes were devouring her and giving her a feeling of disgust that she could never explain in her words. Unfortunately, she didn't know that she would feel that emotion again in the future.

«But you deserve it,» he added, approaching her face after a few moments of silence. An anger grew in all the girls there. They didn't know who that boy was, but none of them liked him. Not to mention the disgusting behavior he had. Before anyone could intervene, Connar's tall figure stand between him and the girl, saving them from that visible harassment.

«'kay man, that's enough. Don't ya' feel like you're overdoing?» said, staring at the mate with his clear eyes.

«What do you want?» snorted the other, not appreciating the interruption.

«Just 'cause y'all parents worked together doesn't mean you have to kill her.» the boy said in the same cold tone, broke a bit by his strong accent. Sarah remained speechless by that info. So, the figure in front of her was the son of a Legion's soldier?

«It's because of her deranged father that mine is dead.» the latter accused Sarah, pointing at her as if it was her fault.

«You said you wanted to join the Legion, didn't you?» he resumed, this time referring to Connar, who did not seem to want to lose that contest of glances.

«Then pray not to end up on his team because that man is heartless,» he concluded by turning back to the young woman, looking her up and down. He smiled for a moment as if he remembered something funny.

«Although, from what I understand, he is about to become Commander,» he added, followed by a sigh of surprise from everyone.

The fact that Erwin was the future Commander was a secret, at least until the current Commander Shadis died. And he seemed to have no intention of it for the moment, so it could pass years before it happened.

But Sarah didn't take it well. That allusion that joining her Survey Corps doubtless meant dying angered her. She had had enough of this story that whatever her father did then came back to her. Erwin was Erwin, and Sarah was Sarah. Two people similar in character but with two different lives. She decided, however, to take advantage of his anger towards her to have a little fun.

«Tomorrow,» she said, moving Connar aside with one arm and positioning herself a few inches from his face.

«Tomorrow?» he asked, looking at her curiously. Connar and the others were also surprised by this statement.

«There will be combat sessions tomorrow. Would you desire to challenge me?» asked in a slightly sweet voice, enough to make the boy blush.

«You will have the pleasure of slaughtering the daughter of the man who sent your father to die. What do you think?» she added, not seeing him quite convinced. At those words, the young man smiled again and came even closer to the adversary.

«With great pleasure,» he answered before leaving. Everyone was speechless from what had just happened.

«You're hella dead.» Connar broke the silence, followed by a collective agreement.

«No,» Sarah answered, turning around.

«Do you know what my father taught me that no one will ever tell you here?» she asked, staring at them with great pride. The companions shook their heads.

«Logic always beats brute force. You'll see me tomorrow. I'll make him swallow his eye for the embarrassment,» she explained, continuing to walk softly through the dark Camp. The others looked at her, hoping with all of themselves that she wouldn't lose her life, and this time for real.

＊＊＊

The terrain of the Camp was dry to the right point, dusty and hard. Perfect for fighting.

«Hey, are you ready?» Sarah asked, seeing her opponent followed by a couple of friends. He was staring at her with the same lustful gaze as the night before her. In the sunlight, he looked more stupid than anything else.

«Always for you,» he answered, receiving a snort from all the girls present, with the addition of Connar, who seemed not to want to detach himself from the girl anymore.

Sarah didn't think about it and turned the fake wooden knife in her fingers. She had handled a few real ones before, but she knew how to use one.

"Thank's Maria." she thought sarcastically, but she had to admit she had prepared her too much too. What she would do in a few seconds came from her teachings. She stepped into position and watched him before launching into the attack. There wasn't much difference in height between them, but a smaller opponent would have been more convenient for her. It wasn't her lucky day, it seemed.

She went off for a frontal attack but quickly realized that her opponent was more prepared than she thought. She stopped a step away from him, thinking there was a more effective technique.

«What the-» stated the boy, not understanding why she had made such a move. Well, it didn't take him long to find out. He found his throat clenched by one hand and the dagger, both so tight he couldn't breathe.

«I win.» the girl whispered in his ear, putting a leg between his and relying on the boy's knee, making him fall.

«Let's do it again,» he grunted as the crowd laughed. It had been quick and funny.

«Of course. But this time, you are the one with the dagger,» she said, leaving the weapon to him and walking away.

«You can't hit a girl, Johnny.» one of his friends said, making the others laugh. Sarah sighed at that comment. They were all the same, she thought.

«First rule to follow to be a soldier.» she gestured for him to move forward, which he did without thinking twice.

She took his time, making sure her posture and legs were in the right position. She dropped her knees and drew a first semicircle in the dust. He was just a couple of steps away from her now.

A second breath, accompanied by the clench of the fists. Sarah loaded the hatred felt towards him along with the pain he made her feel. Did he hate her because her father hadn't been able to survive? Then, he would taste what it meant to be a heroic soldier.

When he was nearly in front of her, she traced the rest of the circumference, turning the torso loosely and elegantly, thus preventing herself from hurting, and raised her right leg in the least bit. Still holding tight, she hit the hollow of his opponent's neck with it, pushing him hard to the side. While still rubbing the affected area, which she knew would hurt him for a while, he walked over and picked up the weapon that flew away from his hands.

«Enemies are enemies. You never underestimate them,» she murmured in a whisper from his face once she bent over him. He watched with amusement at her. He had minimized her, that was obvious, since he hadn't realized how strong she was. Her angelic face hid an unparalleled cruelty, most likely taken from her mother, since Maria had it as well. And she now knew that what she had said the afternoon before was not so much to say. Sarah wanted to be the best. She would do it for humanity, for herself, and her father.

«Now who's got their little face bruised?» she added, bending down even more and stroking the bruise that was forming on his cheekbone. She ignored the screams of her classmates behind her urging her to beat him, moving away from him.

«I may not have been lucky with the equipment, but I assure you that I will be perfect at everything from now on,» she said more to herself as she twirled the wooden knife between her fingers as if it was a pencil.

«Also- she continued as she watched him get up -my father may be heartless, but he is the greatest strategist humanity has ever seen. Remember that the next time you see him return from the outside leading the only team still alive.» she left the fake dagger on the ground and walked to the others.

«Would you teach me that move?» one of them asked as soon as she approached.

«Which one?» 

«The one with the leg,» she explained better. The others present also wanted to know more about that performance. It seemed so easy done by her.

«Okay, okay. Follow me,» replied, smiling and inviting the rest of the group too. Erich watched as they learned from the girl, intrigued by the sudden attention she was getting.

«Smith...» he whispered, seeing her teach that move to her companions. She was confident and clear in explaining, showing them step by step everything they had to do to land the shot.

«I knew she was just like her father. May the Saints save us.» he rolled his eyes. But he smiled at the memory of that young soldier who had already made it clear at the time that he would change history a lot. And her daughter sent the same energy.

*Anklam is an existing village in northern Germany.


	4. Under it

Despite the King trying to hide it, life inside the Walls was much worse than the inhabitants could imagine. The corruption, poverty, and the perennial danger of the giants made it impossible to imagine a place to live worse than Maria. Yet it was.

In the Sheena, under the city of Mitras, a second inhabited center existed. And it had to be admitted that the fact that it was implicitly unknown to everyone was good in a way.

The Underground City was a mass of all the disgusting actions of which men were capable. Prostitution and crime were the rulers, not to mention the nearly one hundred percent illiteracy rate.

It was crap, in a nutshell. And everyone thought so: from the barefoot child begging on the street to the unfortunate merchant who tried to pass as much alcohol as possible under the bar in order to bring an extra piece of bread at home.

And Levi thought so too. He undoubtedly would have lived otherwise if he had known that the possibility existed. But right now, his only concern was: not to die.

«Did you fucking understand?» he asked calmly. The boy looked at the man below him, perfectly bent over the dirty bar table, with one foot above his head and the young man's hand in his hair.

No, it was not what you're thinking.

Levi, together with his two friends Furlan and Isabel, reigned over that disgusting city with an iron hand. They were criminals, and they didn't think about that too much. After all, a few fewer people could only benefit the city.

But Levi was no ordinary criminal. He lived thanks to the people who needed him, giving them protection in exchange for money. And the one below him was one of his debtors, with whom he had given too much importance.

«I beg you, don't hurt me!» the man cried, trying to move. He could have killed him, but then who would have paid for him? Every coin made a difference in that moment of crisis. He had paid, with force and extreme delay, but he had paid. 

«Tch, what a waste of time.» he snorted, letting him go. He adjusted the dagger that had lodged in the table and secured it to his side. He stared at the man on the ground, his eyes wide with fear. At least he would have paid on time next month, he thought. A tall boy approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

«Let's go, Levi. We have more important things to take care of,» she said, turning around. Before leaving, the girl with them turned one last time to the debtor and showed him her middle finger, laughing satisfied.

«Isabel.» Furlan scolded her, taking her by the shirt.

«Hey, come on! I deserve a little fun.» she snorted, reaching the two friends with a jump.

«Don't.» Levi's voice sounded deeper and sad than usual, and this shook the young woman. They used to manage the withdrawals quickly and cleanly, and even if sometimes they ran into some unexpected problems, like that day, they didn't care that much. What they did was give protection. They protected small families from thieves, intervened in bar fights, and took care of sending unwanted customers away from the city's brothel. It was a dangerous but easy job for them who had managed to recover three devices for three-dimensional movement. How was really interesting.

The three were known to the whole city, this was true. There was not a person, even among the children, who did not know them when they walked beside them. Unfortunately, this also applied to Overground.

"Overground" was their way of calling the Walls' citizens, in whose the residents of the Underground did not recognize themselves in. There were two different worlds. For the Overground, a simple and peaceful life, with the only fear of giants. For the Underground, a hard and dangerous one, but without giants.

Some soldiers wanted them out of the way, in addition to small gangs of criminals. The Military Police had chased them several times, so much that they lost count. The results were evident since they were still there, quietly walking through the streets. One of those days, the three had decided to take those weird equipments they had seen on the soldiers before. It had taken years to learn how to use them, but it was worth it.

But Levi wanted to stop. He was born there, lived there, and felt he would die there. It didn't suit him, and he didn't like that every time he had to fight someone, it made him think that it didn't make sense. It didn't make sense to hurt to survive. Were there other ways? Probably, but they wouldn't work there.

«You only risk to get into trouble,» he said again without turning. Isabel didn't know what to say, so she pulled the device's buckles a little and stared at the ground. She didn't want to be there either, but she couldn't do anything else. And the same was for Furlan. Being soldiers, for example, would have paid off more, but who would protect those people?

«Whatever...» she sighed softly. Isabel was unselfish towards them. As Levi and Furlan had saved her from the street, the girl wanted to help that disaster forgotten by God.

«Who's next?» the third member of the group tried to relax the environment, seeing his friends down. They did not answer, but in a short time, they found themselves in front of a large building, perhaps one of the largest in the city. Without getting too lost in admiring the rather bare and sad facade, they headed directly towards their actual destination. Turning around, they found two women smoking at the back door and telling each other something funny, given the laughs they emitted from time to time. They didn't even need to get too close to be notice.

«Oi, the three thugs have arrived.» the first said, throwing her cigarette on the ground. With a nod of their heads, Levi and the others greeted them.

«There you go.» the second, who remembered her name was Lana, handed the boy a heavy bag.

«The money for the security. Thanks.» added, as if they didn't already understand.

«Duty, madams,» Furlan answered with a smile, making them laugh.

The prostitutes of the Underground were known throughout the Walls, although many did not know where to find them. Strangely they had a unique beauty, like pearls in the middle of the coal. And just like pearls, they needed a lot of protection. Protection that sometimes they could not give completely.

«What happened to her?» Isabel asked, peering behind them, intrigued mostly by the music. Dimly lit by the light from the hall, a girl sat on a red loveseat, wrapped in a blanket, with her coppery hair covering her face. They could tell from her posture that she was afraid. And they felt bad about it. The mortality of prostitutes was high. Not all of them could afford to live in the brothel, as only the "most sought-after girls" had the power to bring more money and live there, making the other walking from their home to there. And on that stretch of road, anything could happen to them.

«A man attacked her a few days ago, but they saved her,» Susanne explained, the first of the two, moving her blond hair to the side and settling herself better against the arch of the door. The three stared.

«Who?» Levi asked. Normally, no one came forward. Indeed, it was better to remove that "normally."

«A female soldier entered the tavern where she was supposed to be having lunch and turned everything upside down,» Lana said, laughing. The woman behind them moved slightly. She was listening. The news, meanwhile, shook the trio enough.

«A female soldier?» Isabel gasped. Before she could ask for more, Levi preceded her.

«Were there any soldiers?» he asked, taking a step forward. The girls returned a critical look and signaled Isabel and Furlan to leave, worrying Levi a little. Why couldn't they listen too? Once the two fellows were gone, they resumed the conversation.

«Kenny was here too,» Susanne said, straightening her skirt and looking at him with compassion. Levi swallowed aloud.

Kenny Ackerman, known as "the Ripper," had been his mentor, his savior, his life teacher many years before. But the story was more complicated than could be told in a few lines.

«What he wanted?» he asked, moving the coins inside the red velvet bag just entrusted to him. They were all there, as they always had been. Those women would never make fun of them, that was for sure.

«You know...» she smiled, embarrassed. Of course, Levi thought, he didn't want him. And he couldn't even blame him. He was about to leave, but a hand tugged at a tuft of hair.

«Be careful, Levi. Your mother didn't drop everything to see you die.» Lana demanded. Levi thought back to his mother, who had worked there with them for many years. But now she could no longer, now dust in who knows what mass grave.

«Leave him alone.» a loud voice rang out in the small hall.

Behind them, the tall, curvilinear figure of the brothel owner appeared. Agatha, known by the stage name of Aphrodite, was a former prostitute. She had practically seen him grow up and was a figure of a certain depth in Levi's life. Not too much, though. It was still better to keep distance.

«Go back there. There are paying customers waiting for you,» she said to them, making them go away in a flash. Levi looked at her, recognizing her usual thick black hair, so curly it looked like a cloud of smoke around her round, slightly coppery head.

«Did they give you the money?» she asked, glaring at him with her eyes blacks. The boy just nodded, making her take a deep breath from the cigarette she was holding.

«Watch out. Many more soldiers come to me. I think there's peace up there or something.» she warned him by pointing up with it, throwing around a bit of ash. She had heard them.

«Don't worry,» he said, tapping against the blade holders. He received an unconvinced snort, which made him roll his eyes.

«If they catch you, they will send you to feed them. Be careful.» the woman reminded him.

«Thank you, Agatha.» 

«One last thing.» Levi turned his face slightly. 

«Kenny spent the night here. He left this for you.» and handed him a knife. It was a regular one, but for Levi, that dagger marked a definitive breaking line. That knife, the same one he had started training with to survive down there. 

"You have nothing to do with me anymore." it meant.

«If you see him again, send him a "fuck you" from me,» he said to the woman, putting away the weapon.

«Already done.» she laughed out loud, a fat laugh but somehow evil. Levi heard the door close and went back to his companions.

«What did they say?» Isabel asked. Levi looked at her for a moment. He wanted to tell them about his past, but it was better not. He didn't want them to see him as something he wasn't. He wasn't Kenny's proud, not anymore. And it didn't make sense to tell them. What would it change? Perhaps they would have treated him with more regard, but they were friends, almost brothers. What benefit would had brought?

They resumed their way home and watched the buildings around them gradually expand. Everything that surrounded them now, whether it was the prostitutes, their clients, or the city itself, was their world. But they had had enough. There was something above, something that attracted them. It was the blue sky, or, maybe, the clouds that streaked it during the sunsets and set it free during the afternoon. Or maybe, it was that breeze, so fresh and fragrant it made you want to scream. Scream free your thoughts, your anguish, your fears.

«Do we have to worry about this soldier thing?» Furlan said all of a sudden. In that same instant, they heard footsteps. They were fast and regular and were accompanied by a metallic sound too familiar to them.

They quickly hid behind the house to their right and saw a group of four soldiers marching past them.

They stared at them with amazed eyes. They weren't from the Military Police. The symbol painted on the back of their jackets was so beautiful it stuck in their minds: two wings, one blue and the other white, delicately intertwined. Those soldiers were so different from the others seen before. They were quick, and they looked around less decisively than the Military Police. They seemed to want to get to their destination as soon as possible, and, at the same time, they looked curiously at the four filthy walls that surrounded them. When they were gone, they still drew a loud, deep sigh of relief.

«That was close,» Isabel said, wiping an imaginary sweat from her forehead.

«Shut up, or they'll hear us.» Furlan hissed.

«Always bothering you, huh?» 

«Hush,» Levi ordered them. He was still intent on looking at the figures of the soldiers. He was intrigued by them but also frightened. Maybe they were the ones who fought the titans? He had heard that not all soldiers did that and that the Military Police were the last to see one of those monsters.

«Let's go.» he started walking again, this time faster. He didn't even turn to check if they were following him, now used to their obedience. He was more than just a leader to them. Levi, in his reserve and stubbornness, was a symbol of security. Furlan was too cowardly to make decisions, and Isabel too young.

So even though he had hesitated at first, he'd been leading them into that hell for years now.

They arrived at their destination earlier than expected and, fortunately, without further meetings.

The house they lived in was small but always happy to see them, sheltering within its gentle walls. Inside they felt safe, away from the dangers of their life.

«There are so many of them,» Isabel whispered, throwing herself forcefully on the sofa in the center of the room. As they removed their equipment, they thought about what they had seen and heard that morning. Levi went to the only real piece of furniture in the room, surrounded by boxes of various shapes and contents, and opened one of the drawers. The metallic clatter of knives stowed inside him cleared his mind. If Kenny didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, he wouldn't have cared about his existence either.

«They either want Kenny, or they want us. Nothing in between,» he said, throwing the dagger into the drawer and closing it violently, making his friends jump.

They knew who Kenny was. Everyone knew who Kenny was. What they didn't know was who Kenny was for Levi. When they heard that name, they saw it as a threat to their status within the Underworld rather than a personal one.

«In the doubt, we'll fight,» Isabel suggested. They didn't understand if she was joking or not, but she wasn't wrong. However, Levi and Furlan were barely eighteen, and Isabel didn't even know her age. This "fighting" was not always efficient, especially given Isabel and Levi's modest heights.

«For this time, I agree with you.» agreed Furlan sitting down next to her on the couch. Levi stared at the cupboard and shrugged slightly.

«There are now too many,» he told them as he pulled a cup from the shelf above him.

«Even if we avoid them all, it makes our business more messed up.» his friend shook his head, worried about their only financial source. 

«Messed up at some point.» Levi lit the fire in the fireplace and put the teapot full of water on top.

«It keeps the competition away,» he informed them. Furlan sighed, partially admitting that it was true.

«How wonderful.» Isabel cheered, having had enough of those shoddy thugs who tried almost every day to take them out.

«And then, as soon as that bastard is gone, everything will be as it was before.» the boy concluded, sitting down with them, waiting for his well-deserved tea to be prepared.

"A soldier..." he thought as his two friends argued over the usual nonsense. How could a female soldier save a poor prostitute? Levi shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore. After all, she was now gone. They probably would never meet. And from a legal point of view, it was a great good.

＊＊＊

The laughter, mixed with the sound of glasses clinking together in harmony, gave the evening a relaxed atmosphere. As if the fact that they were halfway through their academic career no longer taxed us.

Sitting in the center of the dormitory, arranged in a roughly regular circle, Sarah and her classmates were having fun with the stash of alcohol that had accidentally been delivered to them. Avoiding being discovered, the girls had hidden the load and lied about it, only taking it out that night.

The game was a classic: one of the participants exposed something that had happened to her and whoever felt involved in that call took a small sip of whiskey.

Despite their young age, it seemed that many of them had been drinking for some time now. Sarah had never done that before, and by the fifth sip, she had begun to feel a certain weariness. She hoped she wouldn't end up snoring like Hange, already drunk with two glasses. You could see they couldn't handle it, she told herself.

It was the turn of one of the few girls who still seemed not to be quite brilliant yet.

«Never have I ever - he thought for a few seconds - seen the territories of the Sheena,» she said enthusiastically. While most of the female soldiers filled the small glass of alcohol, Nanaba glanced at Sarah, who remained motionless, looking at her empty one.

«Sarah?» 

«Yeah, I saw them,» she answered with a small smile, making the others open their eyes. It was a long and, inevitably, expensive journey.

«And how are they?» asked the same one who had suggested the question, leaning towards her, even more enthusiastic. Perhaps more because of her alcohol, given her red cheeks and her heavy breath.

«Cities are... How to say that? Sophisticated. And you can feel that people know nothing about Wall Maria's poverty.» she answered after a few seconds. There wasn't much else to add, actually. The other girls looked at each other, suddenly less happy.

«You say it is because of the lack of information?» 

«Perhaps.» Sarah nodded, confirming that deduction.

«Okay, my turn.» someone said after a few seconds of silence. They all shrugged to get rid of that feeling of inadequacy towards the wealthy inhabitants of the Sheena.

«Never have I ever talked to one of my two parents. Causes: various.» and the question seemed much more appropriate than previously thought. This time Sarah had to drink too. Before swallowing it, she turned to Hange, lying in bed, their face buried in the pillow.

«How sad.» the young woman said, receiving a chorus of assent. Sarah slowly looked away from her friend and decided to ask something too.

«How many are the daughters of-» she stopped, remembering the rules. She picked up the bottle and rephrased the question.

«Never have I ever been recognized by people as myself. Only for the "great" things my parents did. Negatively or positively, this is up to you.» said and filled her own. More than she suspected drank. She didn't know how to feel when she saw Nanaba pass, but a feeling of relief painted over her face.

«How many in here have relatives or friends in the army?» she added, and the replies seemed varied and numerous: brothers, parents, who even just friends. It seemed that almost everyone, even those who hadn't been drinking on this round, had someone.

«Do you want to reach them?» she asked and regretted having said it, as many bothered looks were given to her.

«You know, not everyone is lucky and has a good family.» said the one who seemed to have her mother already enrolled. Sarah looked down, shrinking.

«And some of us suck, so we'll go into the Garrison. We will live healthy and calmly.» a second girl answered, trying not to make her feel too bad.

«Yes, may you excuse me.» whispered. Sarah got up and walked away from the circle, leading towards the shed window. She stood out looking at the moonlight faintly illuminating the field with its pale rays.

«Hey, don't be mad.» she heard behind her. From the voice, she knew it was Nanaba.

«Do you think... Do you think I should shut up?» she asked without looking at her. She heard her lean against the ledge from the window, their shoulders practically attached.

«For what? Because you weren't starving?» she smiled, trying to make her friend relax. Unfortunately, it didn't work out very much.

«You know, I didn't have a great life either, but there's not much to do about it,» she whispered, thus describing her situation. She thought of her father, so angry that she left that he made her regret many things. She should have forgive him sooner or later.

She turned to her partner, but she didn't have time to say anything that her thoughtful profile blocked her.

Sarah had grown up and a lot. She had become a woman in some way, and not just in character. It was true, she had softened a little more, but she was still the same cold and distant Sarah.

No, it was mainly her appearance of her that made it clear that she had matured. Nanaba was terribly envious of it. And with her, many other of their companions. How could she be so beautiful at that age? She looked so old compared to all of them. Even the boys who had teased her before now looked at her from time to time with great amazement. It was her magnetic eyes, perhaps her curvilinear and toned physique, or the womanly look she had developed. It seemed like yesterday when she still seemed to be just a very grown girl.

However, that night she seemed much more adult than usual. She looked thoughtful, even too much.

«Sarah... Something happened?» she asked her.

The Military Police had requested the presence of a couple of the best of each Trainings Corps. Even if they didn't specify the reason, Sarah was just gone. And when she returned, recognizing her seemed like a titanic effort. Terrified and heartbroken by what no one had understood. Although she didn't want to be alone, resuming her training as if nothing happened, it was clear that her mind was perpetually clouded by unwished thoughts.

«I can't say that,» she replied quickly. Her friend stared at her, wondering why.

«It changed my life, Nanaba.» answered better after a few instants. She couldn't explain by word what the soldiers from the Garrison had put her through. What they had made her discover and understand about their world.

«If I ever became Commander, I think I would change a lot of things,» she said confidently, intriguing the young woman next to her.

«Like?» she asked, not understanding this statement.

«These territories suck. The time has come to change things. And it is my job to do it.» 

«Why you?» 

«Because I have seen things, and only I can prevent them from continuing to manifest.» 

«Would you like to make a riot?» Nanaba raised an eyebrow, worried by that look.

Sarah had made it clear by now that she had the character of a leader. A leader like her father. Several times she had proposed danger plans for the tests. And they were promptly rejected as fair as they came out of her mouth.

«Riots lead nowhere.» she half-smiled and walked away from the window, heading for the bed. Before stepping back into that playful atmosphere, she turned to her partner.

«I'll kill the problem from the inside,» she concluded in a cold voice. Nanaba watched as she greeted everyone and took a seat next to Hange. Her mind was completely empty, and a strange feeling of inadequacy towards her that made her dizzy. She didn't like this feeling, and she didn't like what Sarah had told her either. But she couldn't do anything about it. After all, if you told her that something was not possible, she would have done it with even more desire.


	5. Test

«This will be the last test you will do.» the Captain announced that morning. The spring of the year 835 was about to end, along with their required training.

The last examination before graduation. The soldiers couldn't believe it had come to an end. Sarah wondered if it really had been three years. Every day they had begun to look the same. Not that she hadn't foreseen it. Her father had told her well that after the first year, things would become monotonous. She would wake up, start training, give theory lessons, have lunch, finish training activities, have dinner, pass the night until she collapsed to sleep. The time for the last one depended on how much alcohol there was that day. After all, it was a time of peace. The soldiers of those years did not need to be so well prepared. As long as they didn't make the army look bad, everything would had do.

«Put everything you have learned into practice. Do it as if you are really out there,» spoke again, pacing back and forth in front of the remaining thirty cadets. He had never seen so few, but it was correct that his training was the hardest due to his lack of belief in them. Thirty cadets, however, of extraordinary strength and determination, he had to admit it. He had forged them one by one, and he knew all their strengths and weaknesses. They were like children to him.

«You will be called one by one and carefully judged during the trial by myself. You must amaze me, or I will not let you get close to equipment even when dead!» shouted, concluding the short speech, followed by a chorus of "Yes sir!" There was nothing to add. If they had come this far, then it indicated they were used to these tests. How many times had they done it? At least twenty.

As they finished tidying up the camp, the cadets began their morning warm-up in groups.

«I'm really excited!» laughed Hange as they bent down on their outstretched legs, hugging the soles with their fingers.

«After all that studying, we really need some physical activity.» Nanaba sighed, imitating them. The theoretical tests, coupled with practical ones such as combat, had only finished the day before, but it seemed like a month passed. History, geography, science, it was really complicated to memorize all those dates and names. But at least it was over now, and all they needed was this. Sarah took a quick look around her.

Their group consisted of her, her two friends, Connar, who never seemed to have gotten off Sarah since day one, and, occasionally, Scarlett. The girl tended to prefer to train on her own or in the company of her friend alone. But that didn't stop her from taking part in their workouts from time to time. She said there were days when she felt unusually lonely.

Sarah understood her. During her time there, she had first experienced the company of strangers, something forbidden before. No one entered her house except her father, nobody. She wasn't even sure if Maria had ever had friends or relatives. She was always the one to go around, to meet someone, never the other way around.

The girl thought this would lead her to hate being around so many people, but she found herself in need of company instead. The fact that she never had it hadn't made her stronger, only more capable of being on her own.

Her temper had softened too. Her strong grudging presence, like her grandmother, had made her see the world through the grandparent's eyes and turned out not to be what Sarah saw. They didn't look alike at all in the end. If Maria found humanity a lost cause, believing that it did not deserve its salvation, Sarah's wish to give them this salvation grew day by day. She considered herself the architect of her destiny, finally, and decided to give her life to the army. But, without Maria's authority, the young woman had begun to feel lost. The doubts about her new fate were growing every day. The constant presence of death and fear had impregnated her skin, turning into shivers.

That distant night, when she confessed that she didn't want to be under anyone's orders to Nanaba, the girl had mentioned something. That something was seeing death in the face, feeling it on her skin and breathing the scent in her hair. She had made a choice that night. She had chosen to change things. Become the architect of her own destiny and also that of others.

The cadets around her warmed their numb muscles and accompanied the exercise with sustained shouting. Hange wasn't the only one who was thrilled, it seemed. Everyone seemed to want to finish the academy.

«We are very few. I only notice now that we are really a couple of souls,» she said without paying particular attention to the exercise. They all were elastic enough to feel no more pain. Connar snorted in amusement.

«They were all los-» a punch to the head stopped him. The three soldiers raised their heads. If that gesture already had Scarlett's signature, the muscular figure outlined by her flaming hair removed any possible doubt.

«I think you've finished speakin' for today,» she said, sitting on his back. As a routine, Scarlett showed her great love for her best friend in a very violent manner.

«Good morning Scarlett. I didn't see you in the canteen.» Hange greeted her, ignoring the boy's aching efforts.

«I had breakfast earlier. I woke up it was just morning.»

«Are you an early bird?»

«I've told ya' a million times, I wake up with the chicks,» she answered, taking off her jacket and folding it next to the others. It was too hot to keep it all day.

Who was Scarlett? Besides being Connar's best friend, she was, as they had guessed the first time they saw her, a fearsome hunter. How did they get it? From the way she behaves during their training. In addition to an extraordinary physical strength, her sense of smell and hearing were excellent, to the point of hearing the speech of two soldiers on the other side of the field. Connar also had these characteristics, but it was evident that Scarlett had developed them more. After all, she had been raised by hunters, while Connar was the son of ordinary farmers.

Both had never told anything more of their lives. It was unknown why they were there, nor why they both wanted so badly to enter the Survey Corps. Connar said he wanted to prove to someone that he could do anything, while Scarlett replied that she had to "keep an eye on Connar for someone." Their relationship was strange since they weren't even related. They seemed like great friends. 

Hange was convinced that they could prove their courage out there, which they were not yet able to do, and Nanaba seemed to want to run away from something and felt that the outside was the best place for her. For the rest, zero.

«Could ya' please get the fuck off?!» the boy said suddenly, making his friend fall from above his back, who rolled away to avoid getting hurt. With a leap, they were both on their feet and immediately began a false fight. Just as the routine wanted.

As Scarlett threw herself on her partner's neck, the three continued their exercises.

«You're buff,» Nanaba noted as she rested. Sarah stopped in the middle of a bend over and turned, asking with a glance to repeat what she had just said.

«They're so big,» she repeated, touching her friend's biceps, lightly pressing her fingers against the tense muscles, which gave out a twitch due to the effort.

«Uhm, I still find them slim.» Sarah shook her head, resuming her training. She had had to put on weight, obviously in the form of muscles, but she still didn't feel ready. It seemed everyone was achieving their goals except her.

«Compared to Connar and Scarlett's, yes, but compared to ours, they are truly toned,» Hange said, sipping their water. Scarlett was hands down the girl with the most trained physique, managing to beat many boys too. Perhaps it was also since she had an androgynous appearance, and her body was already muscular. Obviously, this did not mean that she hadn't trained much more than the others.

By the time they finished, the rehearsal had long since begun. In fact, Connar was already returning to them.

«Ah, already done?» gasped Hange, who hadn't noticed the boy's absence. They had all been very busy with the heating. The young man smiled, puffing out his chest, and nodded vigorously.

«Twenty minutes in total,» he said proudly. It was a really great result.

«Good.» Nanaba congratulated. The boy turned to Sarah, who replied with a nod of the head and a smile.

«You have improved since the beginning of the academy. By seventeen minutes,» she told him. The fact that she remembered the boy's first achievement was not a strange thing. Sarah had great powers of observation and a great memory. For what she wanted. However, this detail still made Connar blush, and he scratched his scar with a laugh.

The relationship with Connar was peculiar. He was a good boy, and you couldn't help but love him. A little clumsy but very thoughtful and dedicated to his goals. He felt isolated from the rest of the boys, preferring to spend time with the other sex. He thought they judged him less.

Scarlett had revealed to her that Connar had always been attracted more to men rather than women. This had confused Sarah only because she couldn't explain why he perpetually followed her if he didn't care. She never got an answer, nor a decrease in attention over time.

They talked for a while before Sarah's turn came. When her name was mentioned, the young woman jumped to her feet.

«My tourn.» sighed, passing the bottle to Henge and walking towards the start. She smiled as she heard the shrieks of support. As she arrived near the forest where they used to practice, made up of trees so tall that she couldn't see the top, she was given her device.

Each of them had their personal one, keeping it clean and neat and repaired when needed. You had to do it, or you wouldn't have flown. It was important because that same equipment would also be kept once in the actual army. In short, a life companion.

"The laces are worn. It will be better to change them as soon as possible." Sarah thought, checking that the whole gear wasn't too tight. Before the final check, which was done by the army before the sorting between branches, she would have had to completely overhaul it. If they saw that something was not in order, then the girls would be in serious trouble. Even now, she was taking risks, but the goods for exchange would arrive the next day. As soon as she finished, she walked towards the starting platform.

It was so natural, so familiar, so involuntary now. It seemed done all Sarah's life. She took a deep breath and waited for the smoke signal. A little run, and she was in the air.

"Titans are unpredictable creatures. As calm as they may seem at first glance, they can hide dangerous behavior. Remember to always look around before deciding who to attack."

Captain's words accompanied her on that examination. There was no need for all that attention now, but she still kept her senses alert. Being careful not to waste too much gas, she made long jumps from tree to tree, using the force of the pushes to move faster. She remembered how long it would take her to do it, but she didn't know the amount of "titans." She had to be careful not to run out of vapor before the end, or she wouldn't pass the test. It was then that a swift figure entered her eyesight, and the wooden shape appeared behind a tree. That was how they trained: wooden frames seven or eight meters high, cut to resemble the aspect of a giant, with a cushion placed behind the neck. That pillow was her goal.

"Titan at ten o'clock." she thought, seeing. She liked to say their position that way; no particular reason for that. Sarah pulled away from the trunk in front of her, and with a back-flip, harpooned the figure. She opted for a frontal kill so as not to waste much time. A quick thrust with gas and her sword blades sank into the monster's back of the head. Without looking back, go on. She knew she did it right.

"Titans have bodies capable of regenerating any kind of wound. Anything except those inflicted on them in the back of the head."

He reminded her. They had not yet understood why these beings seemed to have such a particular weakness. They didn't even know where they came from. They didn't appear to have reproductive organs, so they must have come from an external source, as if they were insects. She had thought about it a lot when it was explained to her. Many insect species reproduced only through specific "mothers," such as ants or bees. There had to be a "queen" somewhere: a gigantic being capable of producing such individuals.

Sarah didn't believe in religion, only in science. What type of God would have created such demons? There were only scientific facts, and if something could not be explained, it had not been analyzed well. There had to be a sensible answer to giants' first appearance, as there had to be one for the Walls. Tall and compact, they seemed to have stood there on their own. It was not known when or how, or at least, the books didn't mention it. Quite suspicious for the girl.

"Two o'clock," she told himself, seeing a second structure. This time she aspired to try a different maneuver.

"While it only takes one hit ten centimeters long and six deep to kill them, there may be exceptions. The deeper and longer the cut, the higher the chance that it won't survive."

She had never seen a real titan, of course, but she had figured their flesh must be expressly soft. So it didn't have to be that hard to behead one. Sarah wasn't good at hitting the target. Even before, she knew she had made a deep cut, but she wasn't sure how accurate. She hadn't turned away from receiving bad news.

"There're no rules on how to kill a giant. Train, experiment, be at ease. The less you fatigue, the more you live."

She unhooked her harpoons and quickly began to fall. Before touching the ground, about three meters above the ground, she activated the hooking system again, rolling the wires under the figure's throat, towards the tree behind. As her body followed the trajectory she signaled, she neatly cut off the giant's wooden head.

"Done," she told herself. Her splinters flew around her, scratching her face, but that painful feeling caused her to smile. Soon those chips would be drops of blood. And her efforts would be rewarded with one more step towards freedom per fallen titan. With a little twirl due to her happiness, she got back on track. She glanced at the swords and noticed that they had been severely damaged by the impact.

"I have to decrease the amount of gas, or I'll run out of blades before the end." she scolded herself, seeing how damaged they had been. She swapped them for a new pair. Not even ten meters passed that she found a group of titans. As she quickly arranged them, the figure soldiers admired the gaping performance.

«Nice kill!» one of them said, and the girl smiled at him in response.

"Many times, titans gather in groups. Kill the bigger and more dangerous ones first, leaving the less ferocious for last. Remember not to use too much gas, or you risk running out of before the work is done."

She gave the cylinders a little tap and checked their remaining fumes. She had enough for another thirty minutes of flight. Still focused on that calculation, she caught a fleeting whisper from her right.

"We are trying to do more and more research on titans. That's why you may have to attract them. Our tools are not perfect, and you may need to activate them before you are ultimately passed. avoid them without getting hurt. "

And with this thought, a handful of harpoons quickly made their way towards her. Without panicking too much, Sarah led them off with a slalom. She unfortunately had not dealt with the sudden, because a last late weapon struck her leg.

"Shit!" she mentally shouted, stopping against a trunk. Before continuing, she checked that she was not injured and was relieved not to see blood. Sure, her pants had ripped on her calf, and the cut seemed quite visible, but at least she hadn't hurt herself.

«Okay, it's fine... I'm fine...» caught her breath. She felt that pause as vital. The air beating against her body at that speed was dangerous. She always had to take breaks between flights, or she would have caused internal injuries. She took advantage of that rest to look around.

«I'm halfway there. I can do it,» said, noting the height of the trees. Their length prevented the afternoon light from passing, but it was still possible to see how the Sun had reached its zenith. Without wasting any more time, she resumed her search for titans. She was sure the Captain would evaluate her during a multiple kill. It was one of her specialties and a great time to figure out whether or not a cadet was ready for the outside. As she thought of it, here come out from behind the trees, together with a vast open space, a dozen silhouettes. In a corner, the girl noticed her teacher.

"Here we are," she told herself as she descended on the first. She didn't think about it: she had to focus on the giants.

«What do you think, sir?» one of them asked the Captain.

«Smith is certainly one of the best cadets we have had since now, and I could bet my life on it,» he said without taking his eyes off her. Speed, power, and agility were perfectly blended in this young girl. It seemed like a dance, a mixture of violence linked to an elegant and clean technique, which, however, did not fail to surprise with its powerful blows.

«While she still has a lot to learn, she is her way to becoming a highly effective leader.» he dictated to the assistant next to him.

Sarah had been a surprise in every sense to him. He remembered Erwin well: strong and passionate in his work, dedicated to their cause, and equipped with extraordinary leaderships, as well as a particular charisma. He was able to convince his teammates very quickly to do what he wanted and without much effort. And her daughter seemed to have taken the same trait, cone in a slightly more manipulative way. He couldn't assume why, as it wasn't part of his job, but she scared him slightly. On one side, he hoped she would become Commander of her Research Corps after her father. On the other side, however, he had seen how she did not have much compassion for the dead ones, perhaps making it difficult for her to understand the weight of a loss.

«Damn...» the voice of a soldier brought him back to reality, and they saw the not particularly deep cut just made. The girl noticed it too, and she used the branch above the titan as a springboard. She vigorously threw herself against the figure, and closing up like a hedgehog, she pressed to turn on herself at an impressive speed, completely destroying the structure.

«She should work on her patience, that for sure.» sighed the Captain watching her go. But that was the least of her problems, he thought, watching her go. Only seeing death up close would have enabled her to accurately command.

«The exit.» Sarah cheered. She very well recognized the platform she had landed on so many times after those long and tiring sessions. And now, it would be the last time.

She landed on her legs, being careful not to lose her balance. She felt the wind she had caused hit her sweaty back. It was a wonderful feeling.

«Smith: Twenty-four minutes and eight seconds!» a soldier said aloud. Sarah smiled with satisfaction.

"Not bad... Not bad at all." she reflected. She had only improved by thirty seconds, but she had scored far more points than all the other tests. She didn't know how many more, but she knew she had.

It wasn't enough to be fast and deadly to get a diploma. In that month, the cadets had done many other exercises, both practical and theoretical. Altogether, the results of the ten best cadets of the 89th West Cadet Corps would come out. And with those, the fate of all of them.

"Only a third of us will be able to access the Military Police. Too bad hardly anyone will." she noticed. If she had done the math right, both she and Connar had to be part of it. Scarlett had great possibilities, and Hange too. Maybe even Nanaba, but she was all in that test since she had really struggled in the theoretical ones. All of them wanted to be part of the Legion, so half of the top ten were already out.

As she returned to her friends, the names on the list continued to be mentioned. She would miss those guys.


	6. Krolva District

«Of course, it had to rain.» Connar sighed, followed by the sound of distant thunder. This was certainly not the time they hoped for their first day of training. Since they left, three days before, to today, the weather had only worsened, from a light rain it had passed to a heavy, noisy downpour. Many times they had seen lightning lighting up the purple sky. It was not even clear at what point of the day it was since the clouds were thick.

«Come on, we're almost there,» Sarah reassured him again, without taking her eyes off her book. Nanaba's quick hands styled her hair into a long braid in the meantime. Like the rain, Connar had never been silent throughout the trip. And at that point, they would have paid gold just for not being in the same chariot as him.

«I don't like the rain.»

«We get it, Connar. Thanks.» Scarlett gave him a shot, continuing to mend his friend's shirt, which had been torn the night before due to carelessness on his part. She was funny how a strong and intimidating girl like Scarlett, capable of eating a man twice her size in one gulp, was so good at sewing. Each sibling in her house had had to learn something, and Scarlett had got sewing. However, she liked it. Sarah had noticed this when, during their second year, she had embroidered some flowers on a partner's shirt in exchange for extra food. And they had turned out well too.

«How you two became friends?» she smiled as she asked because they turned as she questioned if they were married.

«There weren't many alternatives in our village.» Scarlett snorted without stopping her work. Connar shook his head.

«Excuse me?» he asked in a fake offended tone. If Sarah hadn't lived with him for three years, she would have thought he was really provoked. Connar was a great actor. He acts as a diva, always ready to make everything exaggeratedly comical. Maybe he was more for himself, but he liked to make people laugh.

«I have six younger siblings. I would have had fun somehow.»

«And I three, but we didn't.»

«Because you're a rat.» concluded with her typical line. Sarah and Nanaba looked at each other.

Six siblings were a lot. Maybe too many. She couldn't imagine having seven children. In fact, the very thought of having a kid made her sick.

This detail, however, made them understand one thing about those two boys. Both had particular habits that they had shown well during the academy.

For example, Connar tolerated a lot the contact from strangers, not avoiding when it happened but not asking for it personally. You could get on his back, and he wouldn't say anything. Also, he was used to being interrupted, which Sarah and Hange tended to do very often. And also being deprived by something, like his own meal, for which reflexes were extraordinary.

Scarlett, on the other hand, managed to fall asleep even with the worst of noises. There had been no night that the girls' dormitory hadn't been noisy, even for a while. However, the girl fell asleep in no time, and it took a great effort to wake her up. Plus, she was super protective of her things. If you took her mirror, her hairband, a crumb of bread without her full consent, she would have made you regret it. She was a far too brutal girl, so hitting someone wasn't a problem for her.

Connar was silent, staring at her friend dubiously. He had heard it so many times that he knew there was more. That look made Scarlett roll her eyes.

«You are the best, and ya' know it.» she confided without looking at him, perhaps with even a little embarrassment. Nanaba sighed. She sure had had enough of this behavior, but she would never have said it out loud.

«You two?» the girl's voice startled them.

«There isn't much to say,» Sarah answered after a few moments of silence.

«We like many things in common,» Nanaba said as soon as she thought about it.

«And mutual company does not bother us.» concluded the first. Actually, what united them? Most likely the fact that they had found themselves caring for a girl six years older who mentally looked half their age. But also that both were running away from an abusive parent. And both had never had freedom in their life. Nanaba used to say that she had always liked the idea of working in a bookstore, but her father had not allowed it. And Sarah knew what she meant.

She had liked plants since she was a child. She had loved that far garden in Shiganshina because it had given her an idea for the future. But as soon as she had told her grandmother about it, Maria had rejected it immediately.

"Plants are plants. They are used to give color to rooms. They have no other function. You will not throw your life away for them. I forbid you." she had said. And it was still an open wound for the girl.

«Still very cold though, huh?» the young woman laughed sarcastically, causing the newly finished braid to hit its owner's face.

«Sorry.» a faint laugh came from Sarah's lips, still not very good at correctly expressing her emotions.

«So.- Scarlett interrupted her -You said you are from Krolva, right?» she asked Nanaba. Her voice was cold and flat, giving a certain sense of fear. The interlocutor shook her head.

«Not exactly. I was born and raised in a small town called Trebnitz*, not far from the city. But I know it well.» he explained. Trebnitz was a simple and quiet town. It was known for its beer production, of which had held the record for years before Munich**, principal District at the East of Maria, overtook it. But it still produced a large portion of the alcohol.

«My father is a merchant. I went there many times with him.» she continued, her eyes slightly shining. From what she had told Sarah, Nanaba did not have a great relationship with her father due to her decision to join the army. It seemed that she loved her parent very much, to the point of doing almost everything he told her. But for that one time, she had evaded his orders, the one-way love had made itself felt, bringing the relationship to a complete breakup.

She felt sorry for her friend. Sarah also loved her father incredibly, but she had never felt compelled to do what he wanted. The choices she had made had been decided by her only, and that was it, perhaps with Maria's emotional pressure, from which she just wanted to escape.

«Your father, huh?» Connar said. A thread of sadness had appeared on his sunny face, making the two jump, who were absolutely not used to seeing him like this. He looked like a baby about to cry, and he made Sarah tenderness.

«Do your parents know you're here?» Sarah asked Scarlett, catching her off guard. She froze entirely and swallowed hard.

«At first, no, but we contacted them a year ago, and I think they are fine,» she informed her by tying a knot in the thread and throwing the shirt in her companion's face.

«Did you run away from home?» Nanaba was speechless.

«Yeah.» Connar laughed, scratching the scar.

«'kay...» the girl said. Perhaps it was the way they said it, or because they were now the twentieth person they discovered had run away from home, including Nanaba.

It was understandable indeed. Parents did not spend eleven years of struggle, sacrifice, sleepless nights, and pain just to be able to see their children go to fight such an enemy. But life was now only of those guys ready to throw everything away to get to their dream.

«As soon as they give us the first payment, we will go to them and give it to them.» Scarlett sighed.

«As an apology.» the boy added, trying to explain their idea better. Sarah didn't change her cold expression as she judged the truth of their words.

«Your mothers will not be happy,» she said without warning. Nanaba was also shocked by that sentence.

«Our mothers?» Scarlett asked, annoyed, who did not like all this indiscretion on the part of her companion.

«Connar is such a talker when he's drunk,» she explained, putting the book away in her backpack and starting to take out her raincoat.

«Connar...» the young woman hissed, turning to her friend, who was now trembling more than a leaf.

«W-What did I say?» he stammered in terror. How did he know what he was saying when he was drunk? He was, precisely, drunk. Besides, how did Sarah knew what he was saying? She had seen it.

«Nothing you need to worry about. Only that your mother will skin you alive when she sees you,» he answered calmly. She had only seen Connar's drunkenness once and would have gladly done without it. He seemed to be suffering from the "sad hangover" and was crying as only newborns could.

«I speculated that Scarlett's mother will do the same too,» she added, giving a quick glance at the young woman. They stared at each other intently as if to understand who would be in charge of the other. During the previous three years, they had never been in this position. But now, things were changing. Now they would both have a chance to become team bosses. With their combined abilities, they would surely be part of the same team, so who would command who?

«Yours?» she said, wanting to hit some of her exposed nerves.

«Mine?» Sarah smiled slightly. She had forgotten that she had never told anyone that her mother was dead.

«I don't think she was entirely okay with this. Or am I wrong?» Scarlett raised her chin in defiance. Both Connar and Nanaba retreated to the back of the wagon: the atmosphere had become thick, and it was not the dampness of the rain. They didn't even understand why they had begun to devour each other. Had they said something that had escaped them?

«Who knows what she thinks ...» the girl whispered these words sadly. But she quickly shook that expression away: she couldn't make Scarlett understand that, or she would use it against her.

«Maybe she wouldn't totally agree, but it's done now,» she said, with her thumb pointed to the walls that had materialized next to them.

«We arrived in Krolva. We now begin our journey,» she explained as the three looked over.

Thye Wall Rose was high and imposing, but it gave a strange, overwhelming feeling. Perhaps it was because they came from a geographical point where it was difficult to see them.

Once they had a good look outside, they turned back to her partner, who had started tapping her suitcase with her nails.

«We will become soldiers of humanity.» and with these words, the chariot stopped. They didn't got the time to understand what was happening, that a soldier ordered them to get off.

«Get out! Fast!» he yelled, his voice drowned out by the sound of rain on his raincoat. The cadets did as said, covering themselves as quickly as possible.

First, they felt the cold of the wet ground splashing on their legs, soiling their pants and soaking the soles of the boots. Then, like a burst of bullets, the rain deafened them. It was fast and tight, and it interrupted the view.

They looked around and saw their companions running in one direction. Without hesitation, they followed them through a large door. In no time, they found themselves under the headquarters' porch soaked and frozen. The rains of early summer were the worst.

«So cold.» they heard Hange complain. With a gesture, Sarah pointed to them her position and watched them approach. Their glasses were the fogged and wet, as well as their entire body, and the soldier seemed to be sick.

«It has been raining for days. I'm sicker than Scarlett,» they said as soon as they were nearer. Scarlett had fallen ill a few days before, and, still, she seemed to be unwell. As a proof, a sneeze come out from her, pointing out to her companions how noisy they were. They could be heard across town, they thought.

«Shut that goddamn mouth,» she growled, rubbing her nose.

«Good evening, recruits.» a voice silenced the murmur of the group. A young man, around the age of twenty-five, approached them. His cheerful face was surrounded by a light beard, as brown as his tidy hair. His gray eyes conveyed no particular sensation. Indeed, they were dull. He wore the Garrison uniform characterized by the two red roses. Under his arm, he held a folder, probably containing their documents personally written by Captain Erich.

When he appeared, the young soldiers immediately got into position, their backs straight and their fists clenched to their chests. That sturdy and decisive greeting made their superior smile even more.

«I'm the Squad Leader Nicholas Pixis. I will be your mentor here at the Krolva District Military Quarter.» he introduced himself, showing the structure around them with his open hand. If it had been sunny, it would have been better, but they were trifles.

«You will spend a month here. During it, you will be in charge of helping the Garrison Corps. You will be divided into groups, and you will do small actions that will form you for your future choice.» he told them, taking a piece of paper out of the folder. He quickly made a rollcall, not looking at who the owners of the names were, and smiled, pleased to see that everyone was there. No fugitives on arrival in Krolva, it seemed.

«So, first I show you this place. But before this!» the man raised the voice, making them jump. He pointed decisively to one of their companions, who, frightened, began to tremble. What had he done? He turned slightly to the other cadets, asking for help.

«You'll change yourselves! You are soaked like sponges.» the foreman explained, and the boy had a real faint. Two companions had to hold him to prevent him from collapsing to the ground.

Without wasting any more time, the group followed their superior along the porch.

«What a genius,» Scarlett whispered, making the soldiers around her laugh. The supervisor seemed not to hear, thankfully.

«Pixis? I've heard this name before.» someone said. In fact, even Sarah had considered that name not new. But where had she heard it?

«If I'm not mistaken, he's the Garrison's Commander.» one of the companions said, and the girl had a flash.

«Oh, so he must be a relative. A son?» she asked, receiving a shrug from Hange, who knew absolutely zero about the army.

«I had heard the Commander's son was here. It must be him.» Sarah continued, more to herself than to others. She had never met Pixis, but she knew the rumors circulating through the Research Corps. Voices that portrayed him as an elderly soldier perpetually attached to his bottle of whiskey.

Suddenly, almost at the end of the square, they turned towards a door that led to the basement. Would the soldier have slept under the ground, then?? Sarah didn't like the idea, honestly. The hypothesis that the ceiling could fall on their heads was inevitable.

The stairs didn't last long, and they soon found themselves in a small room. Several doors surrounded them, and the foreman made his way to the one in front of them. Opening it, he discovered another hall, smaller than the previous one and including two doors on either side. The cadets were confused: what kind of labyrinth was that place?

The man opened a door on the right and signaled the boys to enter. When only the ladies remained outside, waiting to be assigned to the women's dorms, the foreman smiled and opened the opposite door.

«Here you are, girls. See you again at the end of the porch in ten minutes,» he said as they entered.

The room was much cozier than they could imagine. Full of the Camp beds, they realized they were of better quality when one of them jumped on them, and the soft noise revealed their smooth nature. Over five of them were placed fresh towels, thus indicating which belonged to the new girls. So the other soldiers slept with them, Sarah thought.

«So cute.» stated one of her companions.

«They are definitely better than the other ones.» Hange nodded vigorously, comparing these to the ones they had slept in for three years.

«Anything would be better than that stuff.» commented another girl.

«Speak the one who snores like a fireplace.» her friend laughed, hitting her with a pillow.

«The fact that I sleep does not mean that I sleep well,» she said in a mock offended tone. Sarah laughed, remembering this detail.

«Take.» Nanaba also gave her a towel, which the girl dabbed at her wet hair.

«Thank you.» whispered. Quickly the young ladies put their things in order and hurried out. They had little time before dinner and a lot of stuff to see.

«So, we're all here?» Squad Leader Nick asked when he saw them coming. The boys were all there already, but they didn't seem to have arrived long. They were on time.

«Good, let's start, shall we?» he smiled, starting to walk towards the front door headquarters.

«Here you have the canteen. Be on time or no food,» explained as the group walked through a large hall. The tables and the good smell that filled it had already indicated its function to the soldiers. Apparently, they were going to eat soup.

Once they left the canteen, going towards the building's inside, a gigantic bookcase opened in front of them, after a small corridor. Sarah was shocked: she hadn't seen so many books all in one place. So that's how libraries were like that?

«Proceeding this way, you have the archives. It's important for those who will take care of it to listen carefully to what the attendants tell you.» the foreman's tone was strict, giving the impression of being very serious.

«The Krolva archive contains all the information of the territories west of the Rose. From those who trade to those who buy, without forgetting what,» he explained with great pride. It seemed to be very proud of this headquarters. Almost as if it were his. He was probably born here, Sarah thought. But they didn't have time to stop as their guide had already left.

They saw every inch of that place. They knew where to do practically everything. From where to send a letter to where to ask for information when in doubt. There was a lot to do in there: to clean, to check that the guns were in the norm, to wash, to cook. Really everything. And for now, they would do it on their own, as the 89th Southwest and Northwest Trainings Corps would arrive the next week due to the weather.

«This is the armory. You can place your devices here,» Nick ordered, entering a room full of suitcases. The devices were stored in them, safe from damage, and with the owner's name on it. Politely they put them in order, trying to occupy the space dedicated to them as best they could. In the room, there was everything and more about the devices. On the table in the center it was placed cloths and sponges for washing together with other tools for maintenance. On the walls, above the suitcases, were hung the strips of leather to put on. The mess all these things create was a tremendous nuisance to Sarah, who she would have gladly spent all night tidying up rather than sleeping knowing their equipment was there.

«Remember where you put it.» Nick reminded them, quickly leafing through the papers inside the folder. When he noticed that they were finished, he resumed the journey.

«We proceed, fast.» firmly closed the folder and left.

«The offices. In command here is Captain Ludwig Hoof. Don't make him angry, or he'll scold me about it.» he stopped abruptly at one point. To their right was only one door, but it was not opened.

«I'd scold you anyway.» a voice came from the end of the corridor, making them stand at attention.

«Good evening, Captain.» Nick smiled, also clenching his fist to his chest.

Captain Hoof was a man well past middle age. He was not particularly tall, definitely as tall as Captain Erich and his skin was, decorated with wrinkles, particularly dark. Even his eyes, black like his hair, gave an "old" feeling.

«Are they Erich's cadets?» he asked the subordinate, approaching them completely.

«Exactly. The 89th Training Corps West, in all its glory.» he smiled, showing him the boys with the palm of his hand open. The man's eyes swept over them, and he lifted his chin in satisfaction.

«They told me great things about you. I expect the best performance.» said without a shred of irony. It was true, then, that Captain Erich was known to ultimately have only the best cadets. The number proved it too.

«Yes, sir!» they shouted back, clenching their fists even tighter and tightening their muscles. They intended to prove that they were what their master was supposed to produce.

«Erich never miss. If these are the best, then we'll see some good ones,» he said again, pleased to see their eyes full of pride.

«You're done?» he asked the supervisor.

«Yes, sir. You can go, see you in the canteen to the sound of the bells,» he ordered the recruits. The two men watched them quickly leave the corridor and waited for even the last few steps to be long gone before speaking.

«Nick, come with me.» the Captain coldly invited him. Nick, even though he was Pixis's youngest son, was treated like the others. Indeed, maybe even more abruptly, but it was due to his young age and his childlike character at times, as well as his questionable desire to be friends with the new cadets.

«What can you tell me about them?»

«The top ten are truly a marvel,» he answered happily. Despite everything, however, Nick liked how Hoof trusted him to the point of letting him monitor the recruits and would not choose another body even if paid.

Taking some papers out of his folder, he quickly thumbed through them before passing them to the top. He gave the first one he found and proceeded to quickly summarize what was pinned there.

«"Hange Zoë, number three. Great mental elasticity. Sufficient skills in nursing and horse riding. Excellent physical performance both in single and in groups. Possible future leader."» he said, showing it.

Hange had shown excellent signs of maturity, able to act appropriately when the moment needed it. They had a keen intellect and an exceptional desire to study. Even if they seemed to like titans, the way they beat them down showed otherwise.

«Always enigmatic that old man.» sighed the Captain, still not quite accustomed to his messy and skimpy way of writing. But he had enormous respect for that man, once his superior.

«This one scares me: "Scarlett Steel, number five. Superhuman physical strength and sensitivity. Mediocre qualities in the theoretical field. Follower, but with excellent mental elasticity."» read Nick, shivering. From that alone, however, one could not understand the reason for that fear. Hoof only found out once that the paper was in his hands.

Scarlett was compared to an animal for ways of doing, strength and intelligence. She was smart and quick of mind. She always knew how to get out of any situation, even if the way the girl did it could be much better. She was violent and full of herself and didn't seem to work very well in a group, nor did she try-hard. But she followed step by step what she was told, and that was good. As for her other activities, her theoretical knowledge was a little scarce, except in geography, the only subject in which she shone. However, she had positioned herself first in both hand-to-hand combat and long-distance running. It seemed that she did not have a great deadlift. To compensate for this, she possessed extraordinary stamina, which allowed her to run for stretches of even a few kilometers without slowing down.

«I think it's the red-haired girl. Always if she can be defined as a girl.» Nick laughed, scratching his chin and looking towards the end of the hall behind them. Growing up, Scarlett hadn't acquired a feminine aspect, but her voice had remained high enough. Still, it was hard for other people to understand what she was, as if it was so important. The same was for Hange, except that their voice was more profound.

«Anklam village?» heard the Captain saying. Turning around, he was surprised to see the superior's tense face.

«Do you know where it is, sir?»

«In the middle of that huge forest north of the Rose that comes from wall to wall,» he murmured, studying that document thoroughly. Was it ever possible that a descendant of that family was among them? It was said that they were now gone.

«What?»

«It's in the mountains, three days from the city, and is inhabited by hunters.» concluded.

«That's why these notes.» Nick gasped, peering at the cards again. That's why her survival skills were repeated multiple times and the constant complement to the sense of direction and stamina.

«Do me a favor: keep an eye on her.»

«Him too?» he asked, pulling out another sheet. After taking a quick look, he read aloud: «"Connar Duman, number two. Extraordinary speed and reflexes. Follower but with decent leadership qualities. Physical strength above the norm."»

«Does he always come from there?» the Captain asked, and Nick nodded, passing him his report as well.

Connar had excellent agility, followed by physical endurance, even in the coldest climates. Powerful and quick, he seemed born to be a soldier. Even in his academic knowledge, he left no desires: high and high grades and exceptional inventiveness. More than one incident of insubordination on his part was reported. It seemed to be of little matters, such as: theft of food, delay in lessons and not paying particular attention to them, damage to equipment and uniforms. Still, she had placed second. It seemed to be of little consequence, such as theft of food, delay in lessons and not paying particular attention to them, some damage to equipment and uniforms. Still, he had placed second.

«I guess it's the olive-skinned one.» the younger added quickly leafing through the others. From number six to number ten, they seemed to have nothing to envy to the first, but the position within the ranking left little doubt.

«Those scars worry me. Yes, keep an eye on him too.» the Hoof said suddenly.

«Yes, sir.»

«Who is the guy at the number one this time?»

«It's a she this year. Take a look.» the young man chuckled, proceeding to list the qualities of the best cadet of the year.

«"Sarah Liberty Smith, number one. Extraordinary intellectual abilities and amazing physical strength. Little stamina but excellent perseverance. Excellent leadership skills, but lack of quick initiative."» he ended, satisfied as if it were her father.

«It's the first time I've seen a girl as number one. She must be so strong,» he whispered more to himself. He didn't notice that the Captain had stopped shortly before, blocked by something written on that report.

«Who knows who she is ... Maybe the black-hair-»

«She is Smith's daughter.» Hoof interrupted him. He looked scared, or maybe mad.

«Pardon?» he didn't understand why his superior had practically hissed those words.

«We have Erwin Smith's daughter here with us,» he explained, starting to walk again, this time with a quick and determined step.

«Wait, that Erwin Smith?» Nick asked, struggling to keep up with him. He had heard of a soldier answering that name, but he knew very little about it, other than the fact that he was in the Survey Corps. But he knew something about his daughter.

According to Erich, the first two years for the girl had been hell. She wasn't able to keep up with all the workouts, and she was continually getting hurt. But by the middle of the second, she had started to improve. In the last period, from being the last one in all the matters, she had become the first. The theory classes had become a joke, and in both ground and air fights, she was brilliant. She was excellent at establishing relationships between comrades, being a strong leader, and capable of coming up with dangerous but efficient ideas. Which were rejected for security reasons. She hadn't been able to improve her medical and riding skills, though. She maintained a rather direct and brusque manner.

«There's only one Erwin Smith on all the Walls, you idiot.» the Captain answered in a loud voice.

«But who is among them?»

«Look closely, and you will understand.» he stopped at the door of his office. Before entering, he waited a few seconds.

«The daughter of a crazy piece of garbage is immediately noticeable.» concluded by disappearing into the room, leaving the young man alone with the echo of the door.

＊＊＊

There was a happy murmur in the canteen. The soldiers talked brightly of the new entries, while the latter served themselves with the food.

«This stuff is too good.» Hange cheered as he returned with his second helping of hot soup. Her friends laughed to see her thrilled for so little.

«It is strange though.- Nanaba became thoughtful all of a sudden -Why is it so good? What ingredients are in here?» asked. The boys considered it for a few seconds. Sarah finished her drink and answered.

«First choice ingredients. They are first delivered here and then to the Trainings Camps,» she explained, exactly how the Research Corps had told her long ago. It was reasonable for the ingredients' quality to drop over time, but it didn't seem fair that kids couldn't have a decent meal for years.

«Eat while you can. I don't know how many meals we will have like this in our life.» Scarlett said, taking another piece of bread. The others nodded. Meanwhile, not far from them, Squad Leader Nick was intent on controlling that particular group.

«Sarah Liberty Smith...» he whispered, focusing on her. He had asked his colleagues about her father to understand who she was, and it was enough for him to know that he was a blond and very tall man. There she is, blonde, tall, and with a look capable of freezing.

«Why they fear you?» he shook his head, returning to eat. He was interested in meeting that girl who seemed to have such a famous parent in the army.

*Trebnitz = German name of a Polish city, now known as Trzebnica, in Lower Silesia. It is 27 km from Wrocław (formerly Breslau). In my imagination, Nanaba is of Polish descent. Since she comes from a predominantly German region in terms of history, it is difficult to understand.

**Munich = German name for Munich, the capital of Bavaria, known for the annual Oktoberfest and for its breweries, including the famous Hofbräuhaus, founded in 1589. In my imagination, it is one of the districts of Wall Maria.


	7. Someone is coming from Above

«Thanks for helping out.» one of the prostitutes said to the three boys who had volunteered that day to help them clean the brothel. Or at least the main hall.

«There is no reason for that, really,» Furlan reassured her, blushing a little. It had to be said that it was not actually their idea. Let's say that as they entered the building they understood that their help would be essential.

«Today a very important person comes and this place must be presentable at least.» the girl explained better, finishing arranging the sofas in the living room. By now the entire room was in order, but the same could not be said of the second floor with the bedrooms and the kitchen.

«Who comes?» Isabel asked as she passed there with the broom.

«A very important personage,» she repeated, as if this were enough to make them understand the importance of this subject. Another woman arrived, giving her partner a light blow.

«The owner of this place,» she explained better.

«Isn't that Agatha?» Isabel asked again, confused.

«Agatha just manages everything. This person is the one who really makes money out of this shack.» and everything began to make more sense. So the reason why Agatha still worked anyway and that she cared so much about her girls was because she didn't get the full income from it. It seemed stupid as a thing but gave them some relief.

«Who's that?» Furlan asked.

«A lady who makes you shiver if you just look at her,» she said fearfully, as if just naming her could materialize her there. The two guys gave each other a confused look. They did not understand this fear at all, but they respected it in silence.

«Quick to move those boxes,» Agatha ordered as she passed them and disappeared up to the second floor. She looked very stressed, the girl noted. Her voice was also less harsh than usual. Shaking her head, she picked up one of the containers pointed to by the woman. She struggled, but it only took her a few seconds to regain her balance. As she walked to her destination, the box was removed from her.

«Isabel, go clean the upstairs,» Furlan ordered, doing the work. Isabel watched him furiously as he walked into the kitchen with her load.

«What?! But I want-»

«Isabel.» Levi stared at her from across the room. From his look at him, you could tell that he didn't want one of his scenes.

«Go clean the upstairs,» repeated Furlan, putting the broom in her hand. The girl found herself in the middle of the hall, motionless with the object in her hand, watching the others work. Clenching her fists, she walked towards the stairs.

«Go clean the upstairs!» she mocked him as she rose to the second level. Puffing and cursing through gritted teeth, she began sweeping the corridor. She couldn't believe they always made her do such boring jobs. Wasn't she strong enough to move stupid crates too? She knew how to use the equipment, those weights were nothing in parallel.

«Don't you want me in your goddamn businesses? Say it! Say it aloud! I don't want you either!» she screamed at the stairs, hoping they would hear her. The laughter of the girls from downstairs tightened her stomach.

How did she blame them, though? Those women, even if they did a worse job than theirs, no doubt on that, they were better than her. They were beautiful, fun, and knew how to keep company. While she doesn't. She stopped in front of one of the old mirrors hanging on the walls. Months ago she had had a fight with some assholes who had tried to stop her during a theft. They had caught her and beat her, and cut one of her pigtails. She could still see the difference in length, and it didn't help her appearance at all.

Isabel was a simple girl. She had big green eyes like trees in the first days of spring. She bragged about it, she found them beautiful, but compared to those of prostitutes they were childish. Her pale lashes made them appear naked and unattractive.

The height didn't help either. She didn't know her age, but she sure was a lot shorter than normal. She was even smaller than Levi, who was the most microscopic man she had ever seen.

And then there was the hair. Aside from the fact of her cut, she had never liked her hair that much. They were red, but they were neither straight nor curly. They were a hateful middle ground. If she had had freckles it would have been better, at least she could have enjoyed creating designs on her face. Instead, the only spots she had were those due to pimples.

She hated herself. She didn't understand why she couldn't be as beautiful as other girls, tall like Furlan, have the same magnetic gaze as Levi, or simply be prettier. Her life seemed to give her no satisfaction, she told herself.

A figure in the corner of the mirror appeared, making her spin around abruptly.

«G-Good evening madam...» she said, but the sentence died in her throat. In front of her stood one of the most fascinating women he had ever seen. She also clearly surpassed Agatha's ancient beauty, which she had always coveted.

She was a woman of a certain age, a detail defined by her hair now almost entirely gray. But her face was still quite smooth and youthful. Her deep brown eyes, caressed by thick dark lashes, observed her from top to bottom with coldness.

She walked over to her, crossing her arms over the chest. Before she could say anything, the door next to them opened, and Agatha showed up at her door.

«Angelica,» she said making a slight bow with her head. She had prepared as best she could, tying her hair and wearing a formal dress, completely different from what she always wore. She obviously wanted to make a good impression in front of her guest.

«Aphrodite.» the other answered, with the driest and harshest voice Isabel had ever heard. She seemed like a mother seeing her daughter again after a long time, but not in a good way. The young lady took advantage of those seconds they were spending staring at each other to study this Angelica better. She necessarily came from the Upper ground, and she understood this both from the fact that she had never seen her before, and because the way she dressed was way too luxurious.

The ankle-length dress, of a mixed color between purple and red, seemed to be made of velvet, and the edges of the skirt were embroidered with golden threads. But the strong point was certainly the corset, made so that it held up the breasts in a provocative way. The black leather was finished with engravings and silver buttons. It was a spectacle to her eyes, and the young lady wondered how much it was worth. Definitely a hill of money. She couldn't believe people spent so much on clothes.

«Please, take a seat.» Agatha woke her up suddenly, entering the room and signaling the guest to follow her.

As soon as the door closed, Isabel slowly approached it, leaning gently, curious to know what had brought such a woman to that hell.

From how she heard them move, she could understand that the room was quite small and had two sofas, one in front of the other, and that Angelica had sat on the one that faced its back to the entrance. A faint sound of saucers and cups suggested that Agatha was serving her some tea, perhaps with some biscuits as well.

«Quick summary of the situation.» Angelica seemed in a hurry. Isabel paused for a moment on that name. Since she had called the other "Aphrodite", she had the idea that Angelica too was a stage name. She maybe had worked there years before, and now she ran it. Like, she still did not understand it. She had never even heard of her. Was it possible that they had spent so many years never knowing that someone else was running the place?

«Nothing has changed since three years ago. We just had an increase in soldiers.» Agatha explained to her.

«As I had expected. My idea went well.»

«We are grateful to you.»

«This long period of peace is proving to be vital for you. It was my duty.» Angelica took a long sip. So the reason why the number of soldiers had increased in recent years was because she, Angelica, ran the brothel publicity. Isabel wasn't very pleasant. After all, it was a problem for them. But she really gave the girls a lot to work on.

«How are you doing?» Agatha asked her. Her voice was less formal now.

«He's not dead yet, and I think he'll stay alive for a long time.» Angelica seemed disappointed that this person was still alive. Isabel felt light shivers caress her neck.

«But I have other problems on my mind at the moment.»

«And would they be?»

«That idiot of my grandniece has started her internship.»

"Internship?" Isabel's eyes widened again. Furlan had once explained to her what she meant. She knew it was work, a kind of test before being fully hired, so her granddaughter worked somewhere. She imagined a happy young girl, doing a simple and safe job, not having to worry about anything but what to wear for the evening. She felt her chest tighten. She was envious. She didn't even know who she was, but she envied her.

«Where?» Agatha again brought her back to reality.

«Krolva.» the other concluded, placing the cup on the saucer. A faint sound of cloth suggested that she had changed position in the seat.

«You could go and see her. I guess she'd like it.» Agatha's voice broke that brief moment of silence. Isabel had no idea what they were talking about. She had never known about the existence of this Krolva. But something intrigued her as a city of the Upper ground. And this was thrilling for the young woman. Who knows how they lived there, she wondered. Again, the image of a young Angelica crossed her mind, and she wanted to be her.

«It is not possible to visit the cadets,» Angelica informed her immediately, sighing heavily.

"Cadets?" Isabel felt chills down her spine. So it wasn't a normal job. She was a soldier. The owner's grandniece was a soldier. Her job wasn't too bad, she thought immediately.

«Besides, no, she wouldn't want me there.» the woman continued. Now her voice sounded sad. The young woman stood still. She had no idea what it meant to have a parent, but she couldn't imagine the idea of not wanting to see someone from her family. They were, in fact, part of a family. Why move away?

«In three years she hasn't written me half a letter, while her father seems to be making a collection of them,» she complained angrily. Isabel tried to think what a soldier might be talking about. Certainly something about the life of the Upper ground. Perhaps of the sky, perhaps of the animals. Or maybe she was talking about titans. She couldn't really guess anything about what a soldier might say to her loved ones. She was probably scared and she wanted to go home, or they were goodbye letters, in case she died during her work. But what exactly was she doing?

«After all I've done-»

«What exactly would you have done?» Agatha interrupted her.

«You blamed her for something she couldn't even predict. What exactly did you do?» she continued after a few moments. Maybe Angelica was stuck for this exit.

«You made her escape, exactly as you did with Francesca.» the woman's tone was hardening more and more, almost reaching the one that she normally used with them. Isabel now recognized her. But the name of this fourth figure, Francesca, did not make her happy. Who was she? Another prostitute? A daughter? A sister?

«Don't look at me like that Maria, you know it's true.» Agatha snorted, nervously twisting the spoon in the cup.

«So her name is Maria. Mary like the Walls.» whispered the young woman. She was a mighty, strong, solid name. She was not like Marie, Marianne nor Mary. Maria. Beautiful in pronunciation, hard to say. Now the woman's face was beginning to take a different shape in her head. She sure fit her name well.

«We've known each other for too long to yell at you.» Angelica, or rather, Maria blew against her.

«What? That I'm right?» Agatha suppressed a laugh. They seemed like long-time friends.

«Remember your place, Agatha,» she ordered, but she didn't seem too serious. They were definitely friends. While Agatha poured herself more tea, Maria continued to read the documents, leafing through them quickly.

«What are these payments?» she asked suddenly. The younger stopped.

«The security,» she replied, perhaps after her companion had shown her what she meant. Isabel swallowed hard: they were "the security".

«Who is it that takes so much?» she seemed angry. The girl didn't think they were asking too much, but apparently, it was for the woman.

«Olympia's son and his friends.»

«You obviously gave him the job because it was your favorite.»

«No.» she immediately ended that conversation. Olympia, as far as Isabel could know, had been a highly coveted prostitute once, but her acquaintances ended there. She was rarely mentioned when they were there, as she was Levi's mother. She was a ghost who still walked among them now.

«Levi is like a son to me, but I would never have lowered myself that much.» Agatha seemed to have come to her senses, but a silence made her understand that Maria didn't appreciate that tone.

«They are dear kids and we feel safe around them,» she explained quickly, a little embarrassed.

«Be careful. They are looking for them a lot. Soldiers talk about it too much.» she warned her. She threw the papers violently on the table and took her cup.

«By the way, what do you tell me?»

«The Gendarmerie is taking a lot of time from me. But I am collecting customers. As for the Reiss, the situation is particular.» she paused, which she filled with the sound of tea pouring.

«Uri made some dangerous moves. It seems they killed him.» resumed.

«What kind of dangerous moves?» Agatha looked scared, but Isabel couldn't hear the answer. Perhaps they understood that they were being listened to. The girl held her breath, afraid to know if it was true or not. That silence was becoming overwhelming.

«Olympia...» that name came so softly from her lips. Nobody had much courage to name her. Everyone except Maria, it seemed.

«How many others have they left us?» she asked, causing Agatha to moan.

«Lumine and Melania were killed at the beginning of the year. And Sabrina is seriously ill. I don't think she will make it.» she said with difficulty. Maria changed her position again.

«But two very charming girls arrived. I think I'll get them to work as soon as possible.» got on the defensive. Maybe the eldest didn't like this news.

«The girl out here, who is she?» Maria asked, surprising them both.

"Nobody." she found herself thinking. She was none compared to the beautiful women who worked there. She was a thief, a criminal, an orphan. In short, she was nobody.

«Her name is Isabel. She is one of the security.»

«Ah. I wondered why she ever was dressed like that.» she seemed to have smiled from the way she said it.

Isabel looked at herself in the mirror again. She had thought she was a prostitute. It must have been an insult to many, but not to her. So she thought she was cute? Suddenly her hair color looked less dull than she had seen before.

«Anyway, happy birthday. A little bit late.» Agatha congratulated her cheerfully.

«You're now... Sixty-nine years old.» she calculated, pausing for a long time. How many were sixty-nine years old? It seemed so many to the girl. She didn't even know how many she had.

«Do not remind me. Thinking my sister is sixty-six makes me feel even older.» she laughed forcefully. This detail seemed to intrigue not only Isabel.

«Where is she?» Agatha questioned her again.

«Away from this hell, thank God.» she finished that conversation impatiently. It seemed she didn't like talking about her family at all, no matter how close her relatives were. The name Francesca came back to her mind. Maybe she really was her sister.

«I've wasted too much time playing the old lady with you.» she got up quickly, causing the girl to jump and quickly move away from the door.

«Always a pleasure.» Agatha laughed, approaching the exit. When she opened the door, Isabel noticed that she had well imagined the arrangement of the furniture in the room. She congratulated herself on that.

«Okay, the accounts add up and I'm glad. Check out the security. They're really expensive. And then let me know if there are any problems.» she terminated, not bothering to check if Isabel was still there. She didn't even seem to care when their eyes met as the older one walked down the stairs.

«One last thing Maria.- Agatha stopped her -Think about it. About Sarah.»

«I can't.»

«Since when do you know this word?» she laughed, without leaving the door. Maria seemed unsure whether do whatever her partner was proposing to her.

«You try it. At most, do a couple of "jobs".» she reminded her with a shrug. Maria smiled.

«Take care of yourself, Agatha,» she said to her one last time, elegantly descending. The chains of the corset composed a melancholy melody.

«You too, Maria.» the other sighs. Isabel walked over to her.

«Who was she?» she asked, staring at the stairs.

«A rare gem. Luckily, it is rare.» she sighed, leaning against the door jamb. They heard her voice say something about the cleanliness of the salon. She didn't seem happy, the girl thought. Suddenly she felt observed and turned to the woman who was examining her thoughtfully.

«What?» she asked confused, sending quick glances left and right.

«You forgot that corner.» she pointed out, aiming to the opposite wall. She walked back into the room before Isabel could figure out which angle she was referring to. She snorted irritably at this perennial wanting to make fun of her that others seemed to have and swept twice the floor. When she heard the heavy entrance door close, she glanced at the end of the stairs and at her back. She smiled as she tumbled down.

«Guys! You have no idea what I just found out!» she yelled as she rejoined her companions.


End file.
